The Mission
by Angelwriter84
Summary: A few years have passed since the voyage to Treasure Planet. Jim and the others have all made their future. But when a mission that Jim and his friends are sent on goes wrong, they are grieved to find that something dear to him is lost. Silver's mission hasn't exactly turned out the way he planned either. Will he be able to risk his freedom to recover what Jim has lost?
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Chapter 1 Prologue **

_John Silver_

The pirate watched from a distance from his longboat as the flames burst from the large ship and lit up the night sky of space. A smile crossed his lips as his mind processed the meaning behind this. _All according to plan. _He was sure to run across a large sum of treasure this time despite the fact that he had to share it with his new crew. But they did work quite well together…..Silver making the plans, but careful to stay hidden because he was still a known fugitive….his crew acting as hired hands but working from the inside to carry them out. Sharing whatever treasure they ran across would have to do. He wondered what unlucky passengers on the ship had crossed his crew, but quickly dismissed the thought when he felt a pang of guilt.

Yes, pirating was still the joy of his life…but it had never been the same since meeting Jimbo. Silver often wondered how the "pup" was getting along, but never visited his home planet Montressor because he would be captured for sure….well….if he were still a "pup". But the pirate still saw those searching, justifying eyes of his every day. He was the closest to a son the pirate had ever had. He shook his mind clear as he used his cyborg eye to zoom in on an approaching longboat speeding its way to him. He knew instantly that it belonged to them when he spotted the pirate flag flopping in the air. When he saw who was operating it, however, he almost dreaded the meeting. It was Miss Scroop. The spider-like alien was different from her lover, but still terrible as ever.

When John Silver first ran across her, the last thing he had wanted to consider was that that bloomin' Scroop had a lover. Well, if anything he hoped that another like that murderous, dangerous looking space spider didn't exist. But there she was…responding to his call for a crew. He hadn't even wanted to take her on his crew, but it wasn't like there were many takers for being a pirate. And she had experience; she was strong, dangerous, and handy with the same cruel spirit that kept the crew going in his absence. She was persistent, which lead to him finally taking her on, and he knew why. It was a known fact she was still searching for Scroop, even more for who had caused his death, so she could take her revenge.

Silver knew why she had sought him out among the other pirates; she knew he had been the last to know and hire Scroop…he knew she knew. And it was for this unspoken reason that he kept her in the dark when Scroop was brought up, with sayings such as "Lost in space, I t'ink."s or "Enough, back to your job now"s, or simply "Shut your yap"s. He could never reveal what he knew about Scroop's death, so he kept his distance. He didn't even know her by any other name than "Miss Scroop", didn't care to.

He kept a hard, indifferent expression as she pulled up beside him and reached down to pull up a small chest from under the seat. When she tossed it over, he opened it up to examine the contents as he listened to her high, hissy voice. "As we thought; there was treasure on board."

Silver examined the large, fancy ship and got angry. He could feel his cyborg eye burning red when he addressed the spider. "That's all? There's hardly enough gold to get them through a voyage, by t'under!"

She laughed her sickening, dangerous laugh. "There is more. The others will bring it in as soon as they finish off…." She was interrupted by the sound of an explosion from the ship. Someone on board had fired a cannon at a longboat trying to make its escape from the damaged ship. The other long boats filled with escaping passengers from the big ship were going in another direction. A smaller explosion erupted from the area where the escape boat had launched from only moments ago. Someone had blown the control systems, he guessed. He and Miss Scroop barely managed to avoid clashing with the disintegrating, flaming stray boat as it plummeted to the wild terrain of the planet they were hovering above. When it landed with a crash, Silver immediately lit into Miss Scroop.

"I told ya not to blow our cover by countless murders! You're to stay focused on the treasure and not interfere with the flight of the passengers!"

She fought back, angry. "We did! Most evacuated the ship right away. I don't know who shot…."

Silver interrupted, not caring about her defenses. "Better go down and see to it they are dead. Bet ya anything they know who ya are."

When they reached the remains of the boat, the chance of survivors looked doubtful. Parts of the solar boat were strewn all over the place. It had been a bad crash. They found the middle aged alien officer laying about a few yards from the boat, killed by either the cannon or the crash…it was likely due to the crash since he at least managed to steer until there was nothing left to steer with. Just when Silver and Miss Scroop decided there was nothing to pick through and turned away, a shrill cry sounded from behind them. Silver whipped around, the built in gun on his mechanical arm ready for fire. They looked around in confusion at finding nothing. Then his eye focused in on a kicking basket. The cries were coming from the basket! "What the devil…."

The pirate kept his gun at the ready as he slowly moved to peer inside it. He let the weight of his mechanical arm fall to the side when he caught a glimpse of it. A baby….a human baby girl. "Oh…you look just like….._no!_" He took a few deep breaths before checking again to make sure his eyes hadn't tricked him. They hadn't. There she was…no longer crying, and staring back at him with…._wide blue eyes. _He leaned forward in disbelief. "It can't be!" Those eyes were his….._Jim's_. He turned his head back to the large ship just as it was consumed by explosions; passengers were still striving to escape it. Many were killed for sure. At some point he fell to his knees. _No! It can't be true!_

He didn't notice that Miss Scroop had crept up behind him to peer over his shoulder. Her hissing voice ran through his head as a cruel smile crept across her face, his pinchers were at the ready. "Well..well…if it isn't the First Officer's daughter."

She didn't have time to close her pinchers together before Silver grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground. He couldn't process her words. "WHAT?"

She began to struggle and grope at his hand as she croaked out her answer. "The young couple that were the Captain's Head Officers…she is their daughter….."

In his shock, Silver lost his hold and let her slip to the ground, ignoring the wretched choking noises she made. His next words were forced. "Are the parents alive?"

Miss Scroop snapped at him, angry with him for choking her. "I don't know! They're not with her!" Silver felt as if the realization had knocked the wind clear out of him when he glanced at the infant again. Miss Scroop was getting to her feet now. "What will you do with her?"

Silver didn't answer; he just gazed upon the helpless baby as he tried to hide the gasping breaths that threatened to escape him. Now this _was _a pup. She had his eyes, his nose, the curls were not his…but the color of her hair was. He assumed the unknown features belonged to the mother. She was defenseless…couldn't be more than three months old. She was even too young to eat. _What am I going to do? _Without thinking, as if by reflex, his mechanical hand closed around the handles of the basket.

…**..Oh, I really hope this has your attention so far. I hope you enjoyed the prologue and would love to hear what you think about it so far. Please feel free to review if you will. It could be a while before I post again because it's a new idea and I am still working on another story. I believe I will continue this one, but would love to hear what you think so far while I am working on more chapters. I plan to write a few chapters before posting so you will have plenty to read. Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from you! –Angelwriter84…**


	2. Chapter 2: The Voyage

**Chapter 2 The Voyage**

_Jim Hawkins_

_A few weeks before….._

As Jim stood in the middle of Montressor Spaceport with his arm wrapped tightly around Krista, waiting for Sarah Hawkins to turn her granddaughter over to them, he examined the new _RLS Legacy_, which never failed to bring back memories of his very first voyage to Treasure Planet. Krista must have known what he was thinking when she caught him peering at the ship, and reached up to kiss his cheek before gently straightening the collar on his uniform and staring into his eyes with her beautiful midnight blue ones.

He admired her beauty for a moment; her lovely pale complexion seemed to bring out her beautiful features…..the curly brown hair that framed her face fell just past her shoulders in the most perfect way, the deep blue eyes that could warm anyone's heart, the small nose and mouth set into her heart shaped face….her uniform covered her slight build in a way that made her look just like the perfect little officer. Jim reached out and played with the end of a stray strand of hair that was flung over her shoulder from the rest, which was half pulled back with the rest of it hanging free.

She sighed and brushed it behind her shoulders before catching his hand with her small, slender one. "Ready to go, First Officer Hawkins?"

Jim breathed quiet laughter and shook his head; yes, she was still a mystery after five years. Jim would never forget the first day they met. He was still a student at the Interstellar Academy, where he was assigned his first mission to take an important family to a meeting. It wasn't a far distance, but still required a short voyage. And there she was with her father. Jim tried to continue his tasks without staring too much, but he had never really seen anyone like him and his parents before. It didn't take him long to learn that Krista liked to sit on the deck and read; one night, he saw her watching a space orca, distracted from her book. When he asked if that was what it took to distract her from her books, she replied that it only took something that she thought was worth paying attention to. They two exchanged teasing remarks and occasional greetings throughout the entire journey there. But when her father was shot and killed at the meeting he had attended, there was nothing a captain or a student from the Academy could do, so they began a solemn voyage back to Montressor Spaceport.

Krista never showed outwardly how devastated she was by his death, only saying "he knew the risks" whenever an apology was offered. He found her crying in one of the watchtowers when he climbed the shrouds for his watch. She hastily apologized and turned to go, but he asked her to stay. After a few moments of talking, she revealed that she didn't know if she would have a home to return to….her father was all she had left. When she calmed down a bit, they talked about the Academy and other small things. On the way back, they got to know each other a little more every day.

When they got back to the spaceport, his mother volunteered for her to stay with them until she got back on her feet. Krista reluctantly accepted, having little choice, and thanked his mother by starting work at the Benbow Inn. She worked so hard his mother started insisting she accept pay, which Krista paid a sum of each month for staying with them until she decided to attend the Interstellar Academy as well. Even though Jim had admired her from the day they met, they didn't fall in love until his last year at the Academy, which was her third. It just kind of crept up on them as they got to know one another. They still remained focused on their training, however, and both graduated top of their class and were most recommended by their instructors.

Everyone else loved Krista; even Captain Amelia had warmed up and had become great friends with her. Everyone was delighted when Jim "_finally" _asked her to marry him. And they did. And so far his only regret was not being able to have Silver at his wedding. They both managed to keep the careers they loved so much, even when little Sara Beth was born.

Jim kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her, speaking in a mischievous voice. "If you are…Second Officer?" When she gave him a playful shove, Jim spotted Captain Amelia, who had already bid goodbye to Dr. Doppler and their four children, peering at him over the edge of the ship as a signal to hurry. Dr. Doppler, his children, and B.E.N. had joined them by now. Morph appeared beside him now, ready for his mission to take care of Sarah and Captain Amelia's children; Dr. Doppler and B.E.N. would not be going either, since it was an easy, but long mission they were on. Captain Amelia had been hired to get a group of aliens safely to another planet halfway across the galaxy. It was of upmost importance that they arrive safely, however, so of course she got the star graduates of the Interstellar Academy as her trusted officers.

Jim blew air out one side of his mouth when he realized his mother was not going to release Sara Beth. "Mom!"

Sarah sighed and surrendered his daughter over to him; Jim lifted her into the air, careful to support her head when he got a look from Krista, and kissed her cheek. Sara Beth laughed as best as she knew how when he hugged her tiny body protectively to his chest. Neither he nor Krista had planned on having children for a very long time, and when they found that they were expecting her, neither had to say they were terrified. It was only the joy of holding her in their arms that assured them that they would not give her up for anything in the galaxy. Jim could still remember holding her in his arms as he sat on the windowsill next to where Krista was resting; he felt his heart break as he held her tiny hand folded in his and whispered his promise to her. _"I'll never leave you."_

And now, he definitely never would. Their little Sara Beth got more of a personality every day despite being only three months old. He handed her over to Krista, who took her into a loving embrace and kissed the top of her head.

"Are you sure you want to take her on the voyage? She's still so little…." Sarah was obviously worried for her baby granddaughter. She sighed heavily when Jim gave her a look of finality; they had talked about this before. Neither Jim nor Krista could bear the thought of leaving their baby daughter for so long, so they were left with little choice but to take her on the voyage.

Krista ran her hand through her daughter's tiny curls while speaking in her gentle way. "Oh, we just can't leave her, Sarah…. Not when she's so little."

Dr. Doppler saw Sarah struggling with this and stepped in to reassure her. "Don't worry, Sarah…. Amelia never liked leaving our children when they were that age either. Remember we were always on a voyage?"

It was true; Dr. Doppler and Captain Amelia had spent quite a lot of time away on voyages when the children were small. It wasn't until they were older that Dr. Doppler kept them while Captain Amelia was away.

Sarah sighed and ran her hand through Jim's short hair; he grabbed her hand and pulled her into a long embrace. She kissed his cheek and whispered to him. "I'm so proud of you."

Jim hugged his mother tighter before a clear voice rang from the _RLS Legacy_. "MR. HAWKINS!"

Krista smiled at Jim's look. "I think we're late for duty, First Officer."

They bid hasty goodbyes to the rest of their friends and family. Jim pulled their sack of clothes and a few other belongings over his shoulder and turned to board the ship. Sarah Hawkins called out anxiously. "Jim, are you sure you packed enough clothes?"

Jim turned and rolled his eyes as he gestured to the sack slung over his shoulder; when his mother put her hands on her hips and gave him a look, he smiled and tugged it back into place. B.E.N. called out a last "Bye, Jimmy!" as he wrapped his free arm around Krista. She and Jim laughed at the old nickname as they boarded the astounding _RLS Legacy_.

"Oh, Jim…" Krista breathed the words as she looked around the ship. It really was something; a lot like it was when they took the voyage to Treasure Planet, but with newer touches. Captain Amelia had it remodeled and repaired shortly after they cleared the destruction of Flint's Trove.

They were interrupted by the hasty sound of approaching footsteps; Jim instantly knew who it was and turned to face the captain. She was tall and straight as ever, but she looked a bit flustered with her officers and began to scold. "Mr. Hawkins….you are late for duty."

"Sorry, got a little held back there." Jim indicated in the direction of their families with his free shoulder, making Krista smile.

Captain Amelia softened a bit, but still kept a stern smile. "Ahh…well, in the future, you will arrive on time. Are we clear?"

_Protocol. _Jim smiled at the captain. "Yes ma'am."

Captain Amelia's green eyes flickered with remembrance; she straightened to hide a smile. "That'll do. Now the two of you get your things to your quarters straight away and report for the launch; _it begins in fifteen minutes._"

They soon located their quarters and were hastily packing a few things into the set of drawers when Jim stood straight and took Krista into his arms with a mischievous grin. "How come I always get the blame for everything?"

Krista turned to him and played at a begrudging tone. "Because you're the _First _Officer."

Jim stared into her eyes. "Because she likes you better."

Krista reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I think she likes you pretty well to recommend you to the academy. Just don't be late for the launch."

When Jim gave her a smile of surrender, they were lost in a long kiss before Sara Beth made a cooing noise from the bed. They both turned their headed at once, and smiled at the sight of their baby daughter checking everything out. Jim walked over to the bed and lifted her with a smile. "Hey, Sara Beth. Ready to see the launch?"

When she smiled and kicked her feet excitedly, the young couple stepped onto the deck to see the crew working hard on their duties and the captain standing higher on deck, checking for faults. When they took their places alongside the captain, Jim was whisked into his duties right away, giving orders and checking to be sure that everything was "shipshape". He took his place beside Krista and placed a hand on her back for support during the launch; she stopped giving an order for the crew to untie the sails and gave him a look, which he returned with an indication to Sara Beth. When he nodded to Captain Amelia, she began giving orders for the launch: raising the ship, coordinates, full speed launch….artificial gravity was always a fun one, Jim and Krista managed to keep straight and hold onto Sara Beth until it was activated. They all expected Sara Beth to startle and cry at the launch, but when they all glanced at her, she was looking about with wide eyes full of curiosity.

Captain Amelia smiled. "She doesn't want to miss a thing, does she?"

Krista smiled and looked down at her baby. "Apparently not."

Jim ran a hand through his daughter's hair when she glanced at him. "That's my girl."

When they were sure that the ship was steady on its course, Jim and Krista walked the deck to be sure that everyone was on task. Jim heard something behind him and turned to see that Krista had accidently collided with a crew member while addressing another. He froze in his steps when he spotted the alien she had run into; a creepy spider-like female with deadly scorpion-like pinchers…._Bright eyes_. Jim had to steady himself when only one word of recognition came to mind. _Scroop_.

Krista was already apologizing to the lady. "Oh...I am so sorry about that….I didn't mean…." She froze in shock for a moment when she caught sight of what she ran into, then recovered and grabbed the rope the spider lady had been pulling on before. She handed it back to her as the lady laughed dismissively in a hissing way. Krista sighed as she stood, relaxing a bit but still caught off guard. She wrapped another arm around Sara Beth as she spoke. "I apologize. How clumsy of me."

The spider lady smiled and inched down to peer at Sara Beth, who shrunk back into her mother's arms reflexively. "Aw, what a sweet little one." Her voice had the same hissing tone….

Krista cupped a hand protectively around her baby's head. "She is three months old. We…" She looked around and glanced at Jim when she saw him. He quickly walked over and wrapped an arm around Krista's shoulders. Krista finished her sentence. "….couldn't bear to leave her for so long."

The spider lady seemed unoffended by their apprehensiveness. "Of course."

Captain Amelia came to their rescue; since she had a bit of down time, she came to check in with them…and Sara Beth. She lifted Sara Beth into the air while speaking to her in a fond voice. "Oh, you sweet little…." Her ears pricked up when she noticed the spider-like crew member; she returned to captain mode and turned to her. "You may return to your duties now."

They headed to the Captain's Quarters when the spider lady turned away. Once they were inside, Jim leaned his hand against the wall to support himself. Krista walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. "She couldn't have anything to do with him, Jim….."

Jim rubbed his chin. "Let's hope not."

He grabbed Krista's hand; Captain Amelia stood with Sara Beth, letting her look out the window. "I don't care for this crew."

Jim smiled. "Do you care for any crew?"

Captain Amelia remained serious. "On occasion." She handed Sara Beth back to Krista and gave them orders to follow their watch schedule and be ready for duty at any time. There was no more talk of the spider lady.

The voyage went smoothly from the next few weeks; the passengers were happy, nothing amiss, the crew was fairly well behaved….Krista and Jim were able to perform their tasks to full efficiency. Sara Beth loved the ship, always smiling and looking about her because she was afraid she would miss something. Everyone adored her….always trying to make her laugh or smile.

One night, Jim rose from a quick rest and straightened his uniform to relieve Krista of her watch. Sara Beth was gone from her crib when he bent to check on her. He found them on the deck, with Krista holding Sara Beth and telling her all about the space stars. Sara Beth was making enthusiastic cooing noises to show Krista she was listening. Jim smiled and wrapped his arms around Krista from behind. They stared at the stars for a while, pointing out the most noticeable as they saw them. After a while, Jim kissed Krista's cheek. "You look tired; I've got the next watch. You and Sara Beth should get some rest."

Krista kissed him back, but didn't object. "Are you sure you've had enough rest, Jim?"

Jim laughed and stroked Sara Beth's cheek. "Yeah."

Krista swatted his shoulder playfully and took a drowsy Sara Beth to their quarters. Jim leaned his hands on the side of the deck for a while, wishing Silver could meet his little girl. Every time he took a voyage such as this, he remembered starting out as a cabin boy, learning from the best. The deck was quiet for a while with no one else but him; he sat there in deep thought for most of the night, occasionally wondering the deck to make sure everything was as it should be. But everywhere just brought back flashes of memory.

As he ran his hand along the wall outside the kitchen, an explosion erupted from the far end of the ship. As he made his way there, another explosion was followed by a violent shaking of the ship and screams from the passengers. Suddenly, the crew members erupted from an opening that had been blown through the wall, carrying away the money stowed away for the voyage and the belongings of the passengers. They wore vicious expressions that said they had won the victory, the same expressions that…..the pirates had worn the day they decided to make their move on the first voyage. They carried various types of arms and weapons, and dangerous intentions. As Jim watched the spider lady quickly disappear with a small chest, he put everything together. _Pirates. They're pirates! _He had to tell the captain….but _Krista…Sara Beth_!

Thankfully, Flim, the middle aged officer that was second only to Jim and Krista, arose from the lower deck in confusion. Jim and Krista trusted Flim with their lives, as he had been their mentor during a training session for the Academy.

Jim ran to him. "Flim! The crew members are pirates. They're raiding the ship! Go alert the Captain and evacuate the passengers. I'm going back for Krista and Sara Beth!"

"Yes sir!" Flim was a faithful friend, and immediately headed for the captain's chambers. Jim fought his way through the chaos on deck, wondering why the pirates didn't try to stop them, and finally reached his quarters. To his horror, an uncontrollable fire had started somehow and was making its way to the chambers. Jim kicked open the door in a panic. "Krista!"

Krista, who had been curled on their bed by Sara Beth, immediately sat up and looked back at him with terrified eyes. Jim grabbed her shoulders. "Krista! There are pirates raiding the ship….they've started a fire! We've got to get to the captain now."

Krista immediately got up and pulled on her boots; thankfully, she had been too tired to get out of her uniform. Jim held tight to Sara Beth as he and Krista shoved a few of her things into a small sack. She would be the one that needed it the most. The only thing Krista shoved into the bag of theirs was their wedding photo. When they were ready, they ducked past the fire that threatened to consume their quarters and made the way to the Captain's Quarters. Jim held on to Sara Beth for dear life and never let go of Krista's hand as they fought through the rampaging pirates and the fleeing passengers. They found Flim and an angered captain shoving passengers and loyal crew members into the longboats.

As the three officers and the captain helped the last of the passengers into the longboats, the biggest of the explosions yet shook the ship and knocked them off balance. When they regained their footing, they could see thick smoke rising from one of the control rooms. The captain gripped at the edge of the ship. "What are they doing to my ship?"

"Getting rid of it to cover their trace." Everyone's eyes opened wide when they realized what Flim said was true. The pirates did not care what became of the voyagers; they only meant to take their treasure and cover their tracks, and this was the easiest way.

One of the loyal crew members was getting ready to steer the remaining passengers to safety, but looked reluctant to leave. "Captain…Officers…there is no room left…the longboats can't support any more weight…."

Jim looked and saw that the path to the lower deck was still clear. "There are two spare longboats down there. We can take those. Are all the passengers safe?"

Flim glanced behind them at some lifeless bodies with a grim look. "Those left alive."

The captain stood up straight and ordered the crew member to take the passengers to safety. When they were gone, they all ran straight for the longboats. They found them hanging from the cables, still unharmed; but the fire was slowly making its way to them, causing series of explosions as it moved. There was the sound of approaching voices as well, calling orders to find the captain and the officers. The pirates wanted them dead; if they were dead, the identities of the pirates would remain hidden.

Krista hastily stuffed a blanket into a basket and lay Sara Beth down inside it. The baby girl kicked her legs and began to cry as Krista wrapped the blanket around her. Krista stroked her cheek to calm her. "Ssshhhh. Get in Flim, and get ready to steer. They're coming!"

Captain Amelia had pulled the lever to open the door for the longboat to drop through; Jim swung Sara Beth's bag into the longboat beside her basket and slid his finger into her hand for a moment before the sound of nearby voices made him let go to turn around. "There they are!"

The pirates had spotted them and were quickly making their way to them, armed with guns. Captain Amelia shot a control panel that sprouted electricity to hold them off. Krista turned to the longboat and aimed her gun at the forward cable. "Go, Flim!"

Jim shot the other cable right after she shot the forward one. They cringed when the longboat slammed into the half-open door and dropped through. When it was free, Flim managed to get it running and drive the longboat from the ship at full speed. Jim and Krista had no time to even look at each other with concern for their baby before the electricity subsided and the pirates were shooting at them. The fire was also coming behind the pirates now, with terrible heat that radiated from a fair distance. Captain Amelia was the first to come to her senses. "We've got to get to that last longboat now!"

They were trapped for a moment, barely deflecting the bullets shot at them with their own; then something on fire fell from the roof and landed between them and the pirates. It bought them enough time to activate the second door with the lever before it burned and fell through the floor. A few of the pirates had been taken out, but the remainder of them was glaring after them for the loss of their crew. One of them shot at random and hit Krista, who instantly fell to the ground and rolled over with a pained expression. Jim picked her up and placed her inside the longboat with Captain Amelia, who was deflecting bullets like crazy. She managed to hit one of the controls closest to the pirates; this one made a small explosion and started to burn.

Suddenly, there was the sound of something else. Jim turned from the longboat he had started to climb in and watched the fireball from the cannon collide with Flim and Sara Beth's longboat and send it rocketing to the planet below. "NOOOO!" Jim screamed out the word as he ran to the place where they had sent Flim and Sara Beth off. He felt a force hit his back as an explosion erupted from behind. It knocked him forward, just inches from the open space in the floor where Flim and Sara Beth's longboat had dropped. All sound and awareness left him when he hit the ground; the last thing he saw was the flaming longboat as it plummeted from the sky, then blackness, then….nothing.


	3. Chapter 3: New Arrangements

**Chapter 3 New Arrangements**

_Krista_

Krista lay where she was, trying to make sense of her surroundings despite the confusion and pain that seemed to run through her entire body. She knew she was back at their home in Montressor when she found herself in the old room she stayed in when she first came to live with the Hawkins family; but it just made no sense. She tried to think through the last moments she could remember: evacuating the ship….sending Sara Beth away with Flim…..getting shot by an unknown pirate….a falling longboat….Jim being blown forward by an explosion…. _Jim! Sara Beth! _

Krista's attempt at screaming through her sobs turned out to be a hoarse call to her family. Krista tried to sit up as she called out. "Jim! Sara Beth!"

The door opened at once. Sarah Hawkins panicked at the sight of her daughter-in-law half-sprawled across the bed. "Oh, my goodness!" She pulled Krista to a half sitting position and rocked the hysterical girl in her arms; the stabs of pain that came with each movement seemed almost nothing compared to the thought of her family being dead. Sarah attempted to calm Krista's sobs. "Shhh….Krista….. Jim's alive. He's been hurt badly…so…we had to lay him in the other room. B.E.N. is with him now."

Krista clung to one of the strongest women she had ever known and choked out her next question as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Sara Beth?"

When Sarah hesitated, Krista looked up to search her face for an answer. When she saw her expression, it was like someone had knocked the breath from her. "No…" Sarah hugged her tighter when Krista covered her face with her hands and sobbed. "Oh, no...no…no!"

Sarah was nearly sobbing herself now as she tried to comfort Krista. "Oh, Krista. I'm sorry…I'm so sorry….."

But nothing could comfort Krista; the world seemed to lose all meaning as she sobbed for her daughter. She felt someone give her something by mouth, and was soon drifting into a restless slumber…..

A few days later, Krista turned a locket that Sarah had left for her over and over in her fingers…occasionally opening it to see a memory of Jim tossing Sara Beth into the air and kissing the top of her head as they both laughed. She felt numb….even after waking off and on for the last few days. She barely noticed that B.E.N., who had taken a turn sitting with her while the others tended to Jim, had been watching her the whole time. He finally reached over and took the locket from her hands as gently as one could.

This startled Krista; she looked into the robot eyes. "I'm sorry, B.E.N., I just….."

B.E.N. set the locket down on the bedside table. "It's fine…so how do you feel?"

Krista was comfortable talking to B.E.N.; they had become great friends by being the most lighthearted when everyone else seemed down. Before Krista could answer, the door opened to reveal Captain Amelia. Krista had not been awake to see much of her until now. Her hearing was so advanced that Krista was not surprised when she crossed over to the bed folded her hands behind her back while she asked her question. "Yes. How is my second officer faring?"

Krista's eyes welled with tears as she choked out her answer. "Terrible…" She felt B.E.N.'s metal hand close around hers as she started to sob. "I should've never taken Sara Beth on that voyage."

Captain Amelia's eyes softened as she lowered herself to sit on the edge of the bed. "Oh, don't be daft, Krista…."

Krista spoke her thoughts aloud before she knew what was happening. "You saved us both, didn't you? From the ship…but….you couldn't go back to look for Flim and Sara Beth because of us. Is that right?"

Captain Amelia kept eye contact with her. "You both needed medical attention right away, and there were a few physicians on the longboats to keep you alive until we could reach civilization. If I could've gone back to look for them, I would have, truly…" Amelia hesitated. "But the crash was so brutal; it is highly unlikely that…."

Krista tried to keep her voice strong despite the sobs that threatened to rack her body again. "I know it is, Amelia. But…" Her voice picked up in pitch to fight back the tears. "I just don't feel that she's dead, guys…I just don't!" She covered her mouth as she drew in a sharp breath. "I thought I would feel something…loss or finality….but I still feel like she needs me. I….I have to go back and look for her as soon as I can. I just can't live without knowing."

The captain did not condemn her words, but looked concerned. "And if you find the worst?"

Krista could barely stand the thought, but she kept eye contact with B.E.N. and the captain. "Then….Jim and I will know."

Amelia gave nothing away, but B.E.N. fidgeted with his hands and dropped his gaze, telling Krista something was wrong. She turned her attention to him. "What is it, B.E.N.?" After a moment of hesitation, she questioned more as her fear grew. "Is it Jim?"

The robot returned her gaze at last with a saddened look. "Krista, Jimmy can't go….it will be too late by the time he can take a voyage again."

Krista was frozen in fear of the worst…she suddenly realized no one had given her much on Jim's condition. "What's wrong with him, B.E.N.?" She had to force the words free as if they were frozen inside her.

When B.E.N. couldn't seem to bring himself to answer, Amelia did in her matter-of-fact tone. "The impact from the explosions injured him badly. Metal pieces lodged deep into his back; when they got the pieces out, they didn't seem to think the deepest cut caused any serious injuries; but the force and impact from the explosion caused quite a bit of internal damage...as well as several broken ribs. He just regained his full hearing a few days ago."

Krista felt numb as she gripped for B.E.N.'s hand. "Is he going to recover?"

B.E.N. answered in the most serious voice she had ever heard him use. "The medical doctor finally said he would when he came last, but it's going to take some time."

Krista froze while waiting for an answer to her next question. "Does he know about….Sara Beth?"

Captain Amelia's ears turned down. "He hasn't been awake long enough to ask. He's just been coming around a bit today."

Krista was on the verge of tears again when she realized what was coming. "He'll ask as soon as he is able….he's going to be heartbroken…."

B.E.N. raised saddened eyes. "He can't go on the voyage, Krista."

Krista felt determination replace the sadness she felt. She looked them both in the eyes as she made her next statement. "Then I'll have to."

"What?" Captain Amelia looked stunned.

Krista came up with the only explanation she had. "For Jim…and Sara Beth….it's the only chance she's got. I'll have to arrange it as soon as I am able."

Shockingly, neither Captain Amelia nor B.E.N. objected. Captain Amelia was the first to speak again. "And what exactly do you think you'll be doing until then?"

Krista fixed her eyes on the captain. "I want to see Jim."

…The next day, Krista struggled to her feet and walked around the house a bit to regain her strength. Instead, the bullet wound that clipped her right side and bruised her ribs seemed to draw every bit of strength she had away; but she was still determined to see her husband. At last, everyone was comfortable with her walking about and helped her to the room where Jim was. She clung to Dr. Doppler for support when she found him lying on his stomach while Sarah cleaned the deep gashes left by the pieces of metal from the explosion. She knew he was conscious when his eyes stayed closed in a wince; she was sure that whichever position he rested in caused him a world of pain. Her thoughts escaped her lips before she could contain them. "Oh, Jim…."

Her words were hardly a gasp, but he heard them. Her name was a half moan as he raised his head and tried to look for her. "Krista?"

"Jim!" Sarah gently pushed on his shoulder to ease him back down. Krista moved as quickly as she could while being supported by Dr. Doppler. When she reached his side, she painfully lowered herself to her knees and grabbed his hand as tears flooded her eyes. "Oh, Jim."

"Krista…" Jim used the hand she had grabbed to pull her into a long kiss. When she drew back, she stroked his damp cheek with her hand as she spoke to him in a low tone. "Jim…I'm so glad you're awake…."

Suddenly, an overjoyed Morph appeared from nowhere and licked her face as he made high noises of excitement. Krista got him to rest in her hand and rubbed her nose against the little pink blob of a shift shaper. "Hi, Morph! I'm glad to see you, too."

She felt Jim's warm fingers stroking her chin as she giggled at Morph's murmur of agreement. She grabbed his hand, and knew instantly what he was going to ask next when she looked into his eyes. As sure as the Galaxy, he asked for his daughter. "Sara Beth?"

Krista gripped Jim's hand as she looked across the bed to Sarah and Dr. Doppler, who wore concerned expressions on their faces. As if to confirm what Jim asked, Morph shifted into a tiny version of their daughter, laughing in a blanket. Jim's eyes grew desperate as he indicated to Morph. "He wants to know, too."

Krista barely managed to keep herself together as she struggled to tell him the truth. "Jim, she and Flim crashed." Jim seemed to freeze with the shock that what he had seen was real; Krista continued through her tears. "The captain saved us….but she couldn't go back to look." Jim's eyes were misting over now; Krista sobbed out the rest of what she wanted to say. "They don't think she survived, Jim….I'm so sorry."

Jim remained unresponsive for a moment; then his face seemed to melt into a painful wince. Krista knew that it wasn't a result of the physical pain, but for the loss of their daughter. As soon as Jim's first sob escaped him, Morph began to cry out and melted into a puddle of tears on the bed next to him.

They all had their hands full for the next while: Jim trying unsuccessfully to suppress his painful sobs…Morph crying…Krista and everyone else nearly in tears. They finally got Jim to take something for sleep by mouth; within the next few minutes, his sobs quieted into ragged breathing as he slipped into slumber. Krista held a sniffling Morph in her hands as she whispered soft words to him for comfort. At last, when the little shape shifter had calmed down, Krista placed him on the pillow beside Jim and petted him to sleep. "Take care of Jim, okay, Morph?"

When the two of them were asleep, Krista let Captain Amelia help her up; when they were all outside the bedroom door, Sarah cracked the door and led them all to the kitchen table. Krista took a seat, feeling more drained than she had in a long time. She knew that B.E.N. and Captain Amelia supported her decision to take the voyage, but Dr. Doppler and Sarah were not as easily convinced.

Dr. Doppler intended to gradually get to the point. "How are you feeling, Krista?"

The question was almost funny after what had just happened. Krista turned to the doctor with her sincerest expression. "Better physically, but drained emotionally."

Sarah crossed her arms. "Well, not well enough either way for a voyage across the galaxy."

Krista appreciated her forwardness, and nearly begged with her explanation. "I've got to try, Sarah. I can't feel that she's gone…I feel like she's still out there waiting for her parents. It will be too late if I wait much longer. Don't you want to know for sure if your granddaughter is still alive?"

This got to Sarah; her eyes softened as she crossed over to Krista and ran her fingers lightly through her hair as she pleaded. "Krista, Jim will be heartbroken if he loses you, too….we all will."

Krista's eyes misted over as she fought to keep her voice steady. "You're not losing me; I just want to know for sure….and if she is still alive, I want to bring her home."

When Sarah sighed in surrender, Krista hugged her as tightly as she could until Dr. Doppler interjected. "Krista…you know Jim will not take kindly to being unable to go on the voyage, right?"

B.E.N. had the same concerns. "If there is a way for him to go on the voyage, ya know he'll die trying to go?"

Krista shifted her gaze to the table. "I know that….and that's why he can't have a way. I've got an idea, but I wanted to get your opinions on it. And he can't know about it until the arrangements have been carried out. I'll tell him when the time is right."

When she finished telling them about her idea, they eventually agreed that it was the best way to ensure the voyage was arranged without Jim knowing. When they had discussed the terms for Krista to be able to take the voyage, Krista felt herself wearing out. When Dr. Doppler wrapped him arm around Amelia and departed for the night, Krista leaned on Sarah to get to her bed. She stopped when they passed the room where Jim was sleeping and pleaded with Sarah. "Sarah, please….I want to rest with Jim tonight. I don't want to sleep alone right now and I think someone should stay with him." At Sarah's look, she smiled as she continued her reasoning. "There's just enough room on the bed for me. Neither of us move much nowadays."

Sarah shook her head, but helped Krista into the room and tucked her in beside Jim. Sarah smiled when Krista grabbed Jim's hand and closed her eyes. She turned back to them as she cracked the door. "Call for me if you need anything."

Krista was already drifting into sleep when she agreed, but neither she nor Jim called for anyone that night because they slept better than they had in a long while. Krista didn't wake until she felt Jim's hand grasp hers sometime the next day. When she opened her eyes to find his saddened expression, she inched closer to him and pressed her forehead to his. The next week was spent like this, Jim and Krista resting and comforting one another while their friends and family watched over them. Krista found she was able to get around better every day, but Jim made little to no change. But he became a little stronger, and was able to at least sit propped against pillows during the day. They did not discuss Sara Beth or the voyage, but one look into his eyes told Krista it was always on his mind. Everything was just…quiet….they weren't the happy, chattering bunch they usually were…even B.E.N., Morph, and the children of Amelia and Dr. Doppler were solemn.

One day while Jim was sleeping, Krista and Captain Amelia went to arrange for the voyage since Krista was well enough to move about. Krista was greeted warmly at the Spaceport and had no trouble at all arranging a last minute voyage due to her standing, but she thought of Jim the whole time….and dreaded the moment when, within the next three days, she would have to tell him she was going without him. Her only comfort was that it was for his own good. When they had the details of the voyage worked out and got the passes for those that would accompany her, they went back to their home.

They discussed the rest of the details in the kitchen, and decided who would accompany Krista and who would stay with Jim. Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler would accompany Krista, while Sarah and B.E.N. stayed with Jim and the children on Montressor; B.E.N. and Morph would accompany Jim if he decided to follow when he was well enough. And everyone knew he would; they had gotten the passes for him at the Spaceport.

B.E.N. wasn't so sure about depriving Krista of a navigator. "Krista, won't you need a navigator?"

Krista smile at her robot friend. "We can manage, I think. And besides, I think you are the one who can keep Jim most sane while he recovers. And he might need you more later. Help Sarah take care of him for me?"

When B.E.N. nodded, Sarah spoke up….she still wasn't thrilled with the idea of the voyage, but no longer objected. "When are you going to tell Jim?"

This was a good question; Krista had been dreading it since they made the plans. She leaned her forehead into her hand. "After he wakes up, I guess. He's going to be so angry with me…"

Dr. Doppler picked up his little boy and stared out the window. "You'd better get it over with. Maybe he will at least say goodbye when you leave."

Krista hoped that would be true….

Later that night, Krista sat with Jim on the bed, gently stroking his hair as they watched the stars through the window. Jim seemed so wrapped in thought that Krista was afraid to interrupt; when he finally spoke, he sounded distant. "You're getting around good."

Krista grabbed his hand when he reached out to her. "You'll be getting around before you know it. I wasn't injured nearly as bad as you were. You are the strongest person I've ever met, Jim Hawkins."

Jim turned his head to watch the stars again. "I don't feel strong." When Krista had nothing to say, he turned back to her with misty eyes. "Remember when we watched the stars with Sara Beth?"

Krista felt as if she had been punched in the heart, but she managed a tiny smile for him as she fought back the tears. "Of all the patterns, I think she liked the Big Dipper."

There was a long pause before Jim stifled a sob. When Krista reached out to him, he drew back. "I don't feel like she's gone, Krista. It's like she's still alive. I just can't….." Jim sighed when he couldn't find the words, and then turned back to her with tear filled eyes. "Is that normal?"

Krista caressed his cheek. "I feel the same way, Jim. I feel like she's still waiting for us somewhere."

Jim held the hand that was on his cheek gently as he stared into her eyes. "I wish we could know for sure."

Krista turned away. "Me too." After a hesitation, she forced her next words out quickly before she could change her mind. "Jim….I'm taking a voyage to look for her. We're going to start where….where they crashed."

Jim snapped his head back to her with fear in his eyes, then seemed to freeze in thought for a moment. When he spoke again, the fear had been replaced with sheer determination. "When?"

Krista held her breath. "Three days."

Jim looked surprised. "Three days?" When Krista nodded, he tried to pull himself into a sitting position as he voiced his thoughts. "Well, I think I can be up by then…."

Krista reached out a hand reflexively and gently pushed on his chest to keep him from moving. "Jim…"

Jim looked back at her, confused by her action; she could swear her heart was breaking as she explained herself to him. "Jim, you…you can't go."

When Jim processed he words, he repeated what she said in a low voice. "Can't go…." When she nodded, he fell back against the pillows with a hurt look in his eyes. When he turned back to her, he was upset. His voice rose to a determined pitch as he voiced his thoughts. "Can't go! What do you mean I can't go? That's my daughter!"

Krista had to raise her voice for her words to come in the forceful way she need them to; but she knew that it sounded entirely different to Jim. It came out as an outburst. "It's also your life!"

Jim froze, breaking her heart as he stared back at her with those hurt-filled eyes and that stunned expression. Krista tried to reach out to him, but he brushed off her hand and looked away. Krista tried to comfort him as best as she knew how. "Jim, I have to go soon. If there is any chance she is alive, it might not be for much longer. But….I don't want to lose you, too…."

Jim interrupted her with a harsh tone. "Who else is going with you?"

Krista was hurt by his tone, but managed to answer anyway. "Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler."

When Jim didn't answer, Krista thought of something and brightened enough to speak. "B.E.N. and Sarah are staying with you, but you and B.E.N. can follow as soon as you are well enough. We got passes for you. Sarah will give them to you when she thinks….."

Jim breathed laughter in a bitter way as if she had said something ridiculous. "We can follow? What good will that do, Krista? It might be too late then!"

Krista held the blanket tightly in her hands, feeling desperate to make it up to him somehow. She only came up with an indifferent explanation as she fought back tears. "It's the best I could do Jim…"

Jim looked at her as if she were the most naïve person he knew. When he managed to find words, his tone was low and angry. "The best you can do?" She just sat there, waiting for him to continue, but he just turned his head away. "Get out of here. I want to be alone."

Krista hesitated for a moment, but wordlessly pushed herself from the bed and walked away quietly, feeling as if her heart had sunk to the ground. She closed the door with little noise and walked back to her old room to sit on the bed until she finally lay down to sleep.

The next two days went by in a quiet blur; Krista occupied herself with packing and preparing for the voyage with Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler. She also made sure to take it easy and get plenty of rest so that her body could still heal. Whenever she sat with Jim, they didn't speak. Most of the time he slept or turned his gaze to the window; she thought she would forget what his eyes were like. After an hour or two of silence, she would give up and let someone else take their watch. The others genuinely avoided mentioning Jim's reaction; when they did, it was only words of comfort to reassure Krista that he would come around…that she had done the right thing….he just needed time to think….but Krista wasn't sure.

The morning of the voyage came quickly; just before they were ready to leave for the Spaceport, Krista walked in quietly to say goodbye to Jim. When the door opened, Jim turned his gaze to her for the first time in the last three days. Krista's words left her when she saw that his eyes were still hard. His voice wasn't much better. "All ready to leave?"

Krista gripped the foot of the bed and returned his gaze. "I just want to say goodbye."

Jim blew air our side of his mouth. "Thanks."

Krista gave up and turned away. "Your mother will….tell you where to find your passes when she thinks you're well enough."

She started walking away, but Jim's voice stopped her just before she reached the door. "Krista."

When she turned back to face him, his eyes were softer. He held Morph perched on his finger and released him to hover over to Krista. "Take Morph."

Krista was stunned. "Are you sure, Jim? He was your gift from…."

Jim's tone was kinder now. "Take him. You might need him on the voyage."

Krista rubbed her cheek against Morph while staring back at her husband. "I love you, Jim."

There was a long hesitation for a moment, but Krista's heart rose when she heard his quiet reply. "I love you, too."


	4. Chapter 4: A Pirates' Life for Me

**Chapter 4 A Pirates' Life for Me….**

_John Silver_

_Blast it all!_ John Silver stomped to the longboat, fighting the urge to kill everyone on the desolate planet. The little lass was crying loudly from the basket; her shrill cries seemed to grow louder by the minute. Whining….wailing….squalling….crying…crying…. And Miss Scroop and the other two female members of his crew were hot on his trail. Nagging….questioning….. yelling….talking….talking….talking…

The rest of the crew had asked questions concerning the child, some yelling out suggestions for killing her, but they had given up when Silver insisted he would take care of it. Most of them had already taken their share of the booty and sped away in their longboats, but he guessed the female members were driven by a mother instinct or something….which _would_ come in handy, but he didn't trust them. He just wanted them gooooonnnneeee!

So around and around the questions went…..melting into one another as soon as they reached his ears: "What're you going to do with that child?", "Aren't ya going to stop her cries?", "Do you want one of us to take care of it for you?" It was too much.

The pup starting squalling as soon as the other crew members were beginning to leave, which caused anxiety among the lingering crew members. When they began to ask questions, he had tried to cover it up like he had it all under control…..

He lifted the squalling baby from the basket and bounced her up and down, almost every female in the group pounced at once to support her head, which Silver had forgotten about. He held her head in one hand as he bounced her up and down and spoke in his gentlest tone to her. "Now, now lassie…..we're just going to take a little trip to one of the neighboring planets, is all. How does that sound for ya?"

The infant hushed her cries and opened those big blue eyes to stare back at him with an uncertain look. Silver held her up for the remaining members to see with a triumphant smile as he used his mechanical hand to gesture to her. "See? They just need a little explaining sometimes, is all."

…That had blown over for about five minutes; by the time Silver collected his share and started for his boat with the basket in hand, the little one started squalling louder than before. The pestering of the remaining members of his crew combined with the shrill cries until he couldn't take it anymore. He lowered the screaming basket and his share into the boat and swung his built in sword around him in a half circle as he yelled out in frustration. "I SAID I'M TAKIN' CARE OF THIS, NOW MAKE YOURSELVES SCARCE!" When they all froze in their tracks, he stamped his mechanical leg down on the ground. "And heaven help ya if you're not gone in five minutes, by t'under!"

This made the crying behind him get even louder, but it silenced the crew members in front of him. Most of them turned to go after that; only Miss Scroop remained with some sort of sack in her pinchers. Silver turned on her with the sword. "I'd get busy."

Miss Scroop hardly seemed intimidated; she tossed the sac to him and spoke in her normal hissing tone. "As would I."

This caught Silver off guard; he opened the sac and peered into it as he spoke in a monotone voice. "What?"

Miss Scroop looked at him as if he were the most idiotic spacer alive. "The sac. It's got some of her things in it. You might find a bottle of two in there."

Silver fished around in the bag. "Bottle?"

Miss Scroop shook her head in frustration and fished around in the sac before pulling out a small cup with a strange lid that was filled with milk or something. She tossed it over when he cut his eyes at her. "Put the end of it to her mouth."

Silver turned the small cup around in his hands before finally tossing the sac to the side and turning away. "I don't need this stuff."

Miss Scroop looked to be teasing him now, which made him even angrier. "Well, you've got a live beacon on your hands. She's quiet the show."

Silver froze; she was right. He couldn't have her squalling the whole way. It would give him away for sure. After a long pause, he flung the sac in the boat so hard that everything shook, then turned on Miss Scroop again with the bottle. "And how's she supposed to know what to do with this hunk of….."

Miss Scroop snatched the bottle away and walked over to the basket; Silver followed in close pursuit and peered down at the wailing child. She instantly stopped crying when she spotted the bottle, and reached out to it determinedly. When Miss Scroop placed the end of it in her mouth and propped it against the edge of the basket, the little one concentrated on drinking the milk little by little, making small sucking noises as the liquid disappeared from the bottle. Suddenly, everything was quiet again. Silver smiled and rubbed his chin. _Oh, so that's how it works…._ He cut his eyes to Miss Scroop's triumphant gaze and tiled his hat to her before jumping in the longboat. "T'ank ya."

Miss Scroop looked stunned. "Please tell me you're going to kill her now."

Silver felt his cyborg eye burning red and turned on her. "I'm losin' me patience, Ms. Scroop. Now, get outta here before I take your share."

Miss Scroop backed away. "You need someone to help ya keep her alive if you don't even know how to work a bottle!"

Silver waved his hand dismissively and started the boat. "I don't need ya." _I just need to get two planets over. Two planets over….._

The spider like alien crossed her arms and turned away with indifference as his longboat lifted into the sky. He made a mental note to watch for her; the last thing he needed was her following. But he soon reasoned that their recent catch would occupy her for a while. He drove the ship through space in peace; when he looked back to check on the little lass, she didn't seem to mind that the bottle had fallen to the floor and was kicking her feet as she stared at the stars. She returned his gaze and one point, and cooed at a pattern of stars he recognized as the Big Dipper. He cut his eyes back to her. "Ya know that?"

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination; the little lass was surprisingly quiet. When Silver pulled the longboat onto a dock as quietly as possible, he took off his hat and sat for a moment to think. He picked up the sac and looked at the child. "What else ya got in here?"

He shifted things around in the sac for a moment: more bottles, blankets, clothes, some paper version of undergarments he had no name for, a stuffed sock animal….he paused when his fingers found something rigid and hard. He pulled it out to reveal a framed picture. When he turned it over to look, he nearly dropped the picture when he recognized the image he was seeing. His eyes softened at once as he held the picture closer to focus on it.

It was Jimbo's wedding photo; and quite a lovely photo it was. It looked as if someone had snapped it while Jim was escorting the young girl out right after the ceremony. Jim looked dashing in a white uniform; smiling proudly at his bride as the picture was taken. The young lady looked beautiful in a simple, flowing wedding gown with her hair flowing under a delicate veil. She smiled up at Jim with a loving look in her eyes as she clung to him arm. Silver nearly burst into tears of pride as he stared down at the photo and realized that Jim had indeed rattled the stars. He held the photo out for their little girl to see. "So this is your mom and dad."

When she caught sight of the picture, she instantly made a cooing sound as she reached out to touch the picture. Her small hands grasped at the faces of her parents as she made soft, warm sounds of recognition. Silver rubbed the top of her head as he examined the photo once more. The bottom right hand corner of the picture read "Jim and Krista Hawkins" in neat script. Silver smiled knowingly when he read the date which was not even a year and a half ago. He gently poked the infant in the belly. "Well, it didn't take long for you to come along…" He gave a short guffaw. "Bet my hat Jimbo was a surprised one."

When she just blinked at him as if he were crazy, he stuffed the photo and his share of the treasure in the sac and gather the handles of the basket with one hand, promising the child that they would find her parents. He had to stop twice as he walked along the familiar path surrounded by strange greenery on all sides. He tried the bottle again when the little lass started to cry, but when she rejected it, he got her quiet again by handing her the stuffed sock animal. Within the next few minutes, she was sound asleep cuddled next the animal. Silver sighed as he continued his path. "T'ank heavens."

He looked about him at the familiar scene he had not seen in five years; this calm little area of the grand swamp-like planet that had been his home planet in his years as a boy and his young adult life was Callinar Harbor. So many memories were associated with this place; it felt strange to return to the home he had not seen in such a long time. When he reached the small inn just a little ways from the harbor, he had to look down at the basket for determination before he swung open the door and stepped into the dim lighted room.

The inn was almost like any other; with a few small tables arranged around the room and a small counter blocking off the kitchen from the dining room. Up the small staircase were a few spare rooms that weary guests could use for a night's rest before continuing on their way. As the last of the guests left for the night, he spotted the very one he had been looking for, wiping the counter with her back to him. When she picked up on the sounds of his uneven footsteps approaching she turned, most likely to tell him she was closed, and widened her eyes in shock for a moment before regaining her composure and smiling as she turned her back to place her dirty rag on the table top. "John Silver."

She was almost just as he remembered her; one of the few creatures like him and pretty, with a plump figure and short red brown hair that framed her face. She was the closest to a childhood friend he had; never asking questions when he came for a stay, but always there to listen. The last time they saw each other, he had broken down and told her about Jim, just after he said goodbye to him and departed the _RLS Legacy _to avoid capture. She was no doubt aware of his life of piracy, but never turned him down when he needed a stay. She wiped her hands on the white apron that covered her simple purple dress as she turned around; she had been running the inn for years to make a living, and was very skilled with keeping a business, too. She crossed her arms and smiled at him as he crossed the room. "What brings you here?"

_You'll be please to know. _Silver placed the basket and the sac on the counter and removed his hat. "Ahh, Libby….just look at ya. You're still as lovely as a….."

Libby jabbed her finger at him in a teasing, but stern way. "Don't ya start sweet talkin' me, John Silver. You've got some explaining to do after five years of silence." She turned to the basket, immediately sensing something was amiss. "What brings you here from nowhere?"

Silver stood from his seat at the counter and laid down enough money for a night's stay. "I need to a room for the night." He hastily shoved the basket over to her and occupied himself with retrieving his share of the treasure from the baby sac. "Will you take care of this for me?"

"Lord have mercy!" One look at Libby stumbling backwards with her hand over her heart told Silver she had indeed seen what was in the basket. He hastily inched over to the rack of keys and pulled a familiar one from its hook. "All you'll need is in the sac."

Libby recovered enough to start scolding. "Now you wait just a minute, John Silver…."

Silver clapped his hat back on his head as he backed up the staircase and tried to keep his voice pleasant. He indicated up the stairway with the key in hand. "Last one on the left?"

Libby was getting angry with him now. "You stop right there, I want to know how you…."

Silver was already halfway up the staircase. "See ya in the mornin', Ms. Libby."

Libby was getting anxious. "LONG JOHN SILVER!"

This was enough to make the pirate quicken his pace and unlock his door. Libby didn't pursue him because the infant had startled and was starting to squall. The last thing Silver heard before he locked the door was: "You had better be ready to explain yourself in the morning, Silver, do you hear me?"

_Yeah, I heard ya. _He plopped down on the bed for a while to think about how he would do just that, then laid down for a peaceful sleep when he concluded he wouldn't.

The next morning, after dismissing the idea of sleeping in, Silver grabbed the small sac containing his share of the treasure and quietly closed the door to the room before doing his best to sneak downstairs. He peered around the corner to find Libby with her back to him, stirring a steaming pot with a long spoon. He quietly hung the key back on its hook and grabbed the basket and sac he spotted on the edge of the counter. As he exited the inn, he laughed quietly to how easy it had been and parted the handles of the basket with a smile. "Good mornin' Lass….." His cyborg eye popped halfway out when he found that the sac was empty. He swung around as his eye burned red. "Blast it all!"

He burst through the door to the inn once more and stomped to the counter. He plopped onto a stool with an angry look on his face. When Libby didn't even turn her back, he spotted the baby sprawled on top of a blanket spread in the floor near Libby, lying on her stomach as she kicked her feet and worked on a bottle that was propped on a folded towel. All that was on her was one of those paper undergarments he had no name for. _Oh, mother of pearl. _Silver cut narrowed eyes toward Libby as he greeted her in a begrudging tone. "Hi."

Libby only halfway turned her head to him. "Hi yourself. Didn't really think it would be that easy, did ya?" When he didn't answer, she continued to stir whatever was in the pot. "So are you going to tell me who she is? Or who her parents are? You aren't leaving until you do."

Silver had nothing and fumbled around with his words. "She's a….well, she's a…." He voiced his thoughts as soon as he had something with a smile. "She's mine."

He instantly regretted the lie when he heard the spoon clatter to the floor. It took Libby four footfalls to turn in a half circle to face him. When she did, her expression told him this was the worst lie he had ever laid on her. When he tried to cover it with a persistent smile, she placed her hands on her hips. "Is she now?"

Silver's smile melted as she crossed over the sac and fished out the wedding photo of Jim and Krista. "And here I was thinking she was theirs."

Silver's eyes burned red as he snatched the picture away with a sullen expression. Libby leaned on the counter across from him with a knowing look. "It seems you have a lot of explaining to do, John Silver."

…**That is all I've got up until now, but I will be working on a few more chapters as soon as I can. I hope you like the story so far. Thanks for reading and I hope you will keep checking back!...**


	5. Chapter 5: Patience

**Chapter 5 Patience **

_Jim Hawkins_

… Jim wandered through the darkness for what seemed like hours; he found himself in a strange, eerie place with nothing to see. But there was plenty to hear…. Strange, sinister cackles and laughs came from out of nowhere, surrounding him until he fell to his knees on the verge of madness. Amidst all the evil laughs and cackles, a familiar cry sounded out. Sara Beth's cry. Jim's head snapped in the direction it had come from before it was even over. _She was still alive!_ Jim got to his feet and starting running…running….running….until he couldn't run anymore. He should have found her by now. He stopped and shifted his feet as the laughs seemed to close in on him from all sides. When he couldn't stand it anymore, he called to his daughter in desperation. "Sara Beth!"

"_Jim." _The whisper sounded out among the various cackles and seemed to come from all sides. Jim immediately staring looking in all directions frantically. "Krista!"

"_Jim." _He knew for sure it was her now. And for some reason, she was frightened. Jim started to panic when he recognized the tone; she had whispered his name in the way she always did when she was frightened, which wasn't very often. Jim stayed where he was, looking about frantically, but finding nothing. He then heard a thudding noise from behind him and jumped around to see what it was. He could just make out a figure lying still on the ground through the darkness, and started to approach it carefully. His heart stopped when he found Krista in place of the figure. A new jolt of panic shot through him as he dropped to his knees and lifted her onto his lap. "Krista!" A sob escaped him when he released there was no life left in his wife.

As he rocked her back and forth and cried, he became aware of a distinct laugh hissing from above him. The laugh was more frightening than any of those surrounding him; it was terrible and feminine, and full of soft, hissing notes. When he looked up in horror, he found himself staring right into those big, glowing yellow eyes. He watched as the unknown figure disintegrated into the now-lighted figure of Mr. Scroop; only the eyes remained the same as the laughter changed into his deep, evil one.

Jim gasped in horror when he held up a trembling Sara Beth in one of his big, sharp pinchers. Jim could do nothing but watch as the other slid across his infant daughter's throat…

"NOOOOO!" Jim clutched at his ribs and panted as he found himself sitting up the same room he had been in for days. He wiped at the sheen of sweat on his face as he looked about the room, finding nothing amiss as the grey light of morning shone through the window.

"Jim?" His mother's voice was still far away, B.E.N. would get there before she did. With the dream still fresh on his mind, he threw back the covers and grabbed the bedpost for support as he eased himself to his feet. He had to get to them. He had to find Krista and Sara Beth and bring them home.

"Jimmy?" B.E.N. would be there any second. Jim tightened his grip on the bedpost when shooting pains that shot through his ribs like needles made him wince. He ignored the pain and pulled up on the bedpost so he could stand up straight…only to fall down to his hands and knees when a bone crunching pain made him double over. Jim cried out in agony while he clutched his ribs tightly with one arm. Agony gave way to fury when he realized what this meant. He slammed his fist into the ground in frustration as he crawled on his knees in an attempt to get back to his feet. B.E.N. was there now; he flung open the door with a bang and ran over to Jim in his panicky, robot way. B.E.N.'s voice was a harsh whisper as Sarah called Jim's name again. He pulled at Jim's shirt, still in a panic. "Jimmy! What are you doing?"

Jim tried his best to speak as he panted. "I….I've gotta get to them, B.E.N…."

"James Pleiades Hawkins!" _Still busted, after all these years. _Sarah quickly worked with B.E.N. to pull him back into bed. Jim couldn't even resist; he was lost in a world of pain as they moved him. He felt his mother push him back into the pillows as B.E.N. pulled the covers back over his body. The only resistance he could manage was to turn his head from side to side as he fought with his body to allow him to sit up again.

A moan escaped his lips when a wrong move sent stabbing pains through his stomach, but he didn't relax until something damp and cool was placed on his forehead. Everything hurt now. Sound came again in a few minutes; his mother was trying to console him. "Stop struggling, Jim! What's the matter with…?"

Jim forced his eyes open and grabbed her hand. His voice came out as a moan when he tried to speak to her. "I've got to get to them, Mom! I can't let them die…."

He relaxed at the feel of his mom's fingers running gently through his hair. "No one's going to die, Jim." When he raised his eyes to search hers, he found worry and sadness in the dark blue of her eyes. Still, her voice did sound sincere and reassuring. "Krista is coming back when she finds the answers you both need. But she's coming home, along with Amelia and Delbert. You have to believe that, Jim."

The image of Scroop laughing with Krista at his feet and Sara Beth in his pinchers made no sense, but Jim still found that it was fresh in his mind. "But what if she doesn't, mom? And what if me being there could make all the difference? I have to go after them!"

"Not in the shape you're in right now; and if you keep pulling yourself out of bed, they'll be back before you even improve." Why did she have to sound so sure? Jim blew air out the side of his mouth.

He was practically pleading now. "Mom, please. Just tell me where the passes are…."

"No." Plain as that. Sarah Hawkins was set. For some reason, this made Jim angry. "How can you guys just do that to me? Hiding this from me!" He ran his hands through his hair. "I mean, I didn't think Krista would ever…"

"Jim!" Sarah stopped him there, looking surprised by his outburst as she spoke in their defense. "We all did what was best for you….and Sara Beth, if she is still alive. We had to hide it from you, or you would have gone on that voyage and hurt yourself permanently, then what?"

Jim said nothing; he knew they were trying to save him, but he still felt betrayed on the inside. When he had nothing else to say, B.E.N. walked over to him and placed Krista's locket in his hand. "Krista did it for you and Sara Beth, Jimmy. She didn't want to leave you, but it was the only way we could think of. She opened this over and over again while you were asleep."

Jim rubbed his thumb over the simple locket and latched it open. He remembered every image. The first was the one of him tossing Sara Beth into the air and laughing with her. The next was one of his favorites. Krista picked up Sara Beth with a joyful, loving look in her eyes, and pressed her forehead to hers as they giggled the most beautiful mixture of laughter he had ever heard. The last image was them as a family…from when Jim had gone on a short mission shortly after Sara Beth's birth and greeted them at the Spaceport after the mission was complete. The image showed Morph rubbing against Krista's face as he ran a gentle hand through Sara Beth's hair. It was cut off as he and Krista exchanged a long kiss.

Jim let the images play a second time, and passed his thumb through Krista and Sara Beth before closing the locket and clutching it in his hand as he held it to his chest. He felt his eyes misting over as he looked back up at his mother and B.E.N. Sarah sighed and grabbed his hand. "Jim, sometimes you have to make hard choices for the ones you love. And we all love you, Jim, so much. So when we helped Krista make her decision, it was all out of love for you, not because we wanted to hide it from you."

Jim looked out the window, wondering where they were right now. "I'm just so worried for them, mom."

He hugged her tightly when she took him in her arms; now he finally believed that she understood. "Oh…I know, Jim…." He knew she knew…..she had spent months worrying when he left for Treasure Planet, and was still worried about Krista and Sara Beth. She pulled the covers back over his chest. "Now, try to get some rest." Her voice took on a teasing note. "And if you'll stay in bed like you're supposed to, we'll have you better before you know it."

But Jim didn't want to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he found a pair of bright yellow eyes staring back at him. To his despair, B.E.N. moved his bed covers and, out of their concern for Jim, spread them on the windowsill opposite his bed. Jim didn't expect that having his loud, cheerful robot friend move in his room with him would be a help, but he soon found himself surprised.

It was always something when B.E.N. was around, and that turned out to be just what Jim needed in a world where you wait for time. Having noise in the room was a lifesaver of its own, and since B.E.N. didn't need much of a response to babble anyway, everything worked out. Even when Jim had had enough and zoned out of the conversation, B.E.N. still kept life in the room. Sarah was finally able to keep the Benbow running for at least half a day with B.E.N. around to watch after Jim. When Jim was able to sit up with at least a little more comfort, they brought small tools to Jim for him to work with. He loved working on and fixing things; time seemed to go much faster when he had something to do with his hands. Whenever B.E.N. failed to shake him awake from a nightmare, he unlatched Krista's locket and smiled at the happy memories of his family. He still found himself angry with Krista at times, but mostly he just missed her, and worked to get well so he could see her again. He sometimes wished more than anything that he had kissed her goodbye, and that they could hold Sara Beth in their arms again.

There were a lot of visits from the medical doctor, too. But he always seemed thrilled to find increasing improvements in Jim's health. Jim didn't even bother to ask what surgeries he had missed out on when he was out; he just concentrated on getting better.

Finally, the day came when he could stand and walk a few steps while leaning on someone else for support. He started getting around little by little: walking outside for air with someone else, eating meals at the kitchen table, playing board games with Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler's children…he still tired easily, but it was progress.

He and B.E.N. gradually discussed their voyage as Jim regained his strength; even Sarah had warmed up to the idea of giving them the passes, but it was still out of the question until he got around well and until the doctor cleared him to go. Patience was a challenge for him at times, but if his loved ones had wanted it….then it was best. Once he asked B.E.N. if he thought Silver would have said the same thing; the robot had said yes without the slightest trace of hesitation. Still, with every step he took, only one thought crossed his mind. _I'm coming Krista…Sara Beth….just hang on. _

…**..Hi everyone, I'm sorry it's been so long. It has been a busy week, but I was working on my other story while I was thinking about these next few chapters coming up. Just a little something from Jim's point of view to see how he's doing; I will try to post the next few chapters with Krista's voyage and Silver's adventures with Libby and Sara Beth soon. I'm so glad to see that you all like the story so far. Thank you for your kind reviews; please keep submitting feedback and thoughts if you have the time. I always like to know how everyone is connecting to the story. This is it for now, but please keep checking back and I hope you enjoy the story! Thanks so much...**


	6. Chapter 6: Baby Care

…**.I've finally got the next chapter written! This is Silver's again, because Krista's will be longer. After hers, we will hear from the other characters. I hope to have a few chapters done the next time I post. I hope you enjoy this one in the meantime. It's always fun to write from Silver's point of view in regards to Sara Beth's care. Thank you for the kind, informative reviews! I'm so glad you seem to like the story. I always love to read all of your thoughts on the story. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy this little chapter with Silver, Libby, and Sara Beth….**

**Chapter 6 Baby Care**

_John Silver_

Libby listened without interruption as he told her everything….and that meant _everythiiiing_. Whenever he left out a detail, she sensed it and went to fussin' until he gave up and told her the truth. Silver wound up starting from the time he and the crew decided to target that ship to the time he brought the little lass in. Silver found himself angry with Libby at times because he _hated _explaining himself, but at least all this blabbering would come in handy….Libby was witty and social….and had the upper hand in the knowledge of baby care. He knew he couldn't handle the little lass without a pair of trustworthy hands, and Libby was his best bet. It's what he came here for in the first place; but he started second guessing himself when Libby held him accountable for his actions. His only comfort in her silence vanished as soon as he finished it; the kitchen was a mass of chaos from there….

Silver just managed to dodge a pot that came sailing at him from across the counter. Libby was as furious as he had ever seen her. Silver had been able to do nothing but laugh at first, but now he was as angry he could be. Libby shrieked at him in disgust. "How could you do that to that poor family, John! What if they've been killed? Do you have any idea what that means….?"

Silver quickly turned his mechanical hand into a gun and shot at the next skillet that flew over the counter. When Libby froze, his voiced roared out across the dining room. "I had no way a'knowin', woman! You of all know I would'a never attacked that ship if I'd 'ave known Jim was on it! And they survived, you hear me?" He nearly broke in two when he thought otherwise; he couldn't accept the alternative. His voice softened to a hard edge when Libby's eyes did. The child was screaming now; her cries shook with fear as the chaos sounded around her. Silver stole a glance at her before shaking his fist at Libby in determination. "They survived, and Jim needs me to keep that child alive until they find her. And that's what I'm gonna do. But you know I don't know nothing about baby care….and I need someone who does. Now, are ya gonna help me or not, because I am not callin' on Miss Scroop to….."

Libby's voice was soft and distant now. "I'll help ya, Silver." He felt his burning eye soften back to its normal gold color as he watched Libby bend down to pick up the screaming, trembling infant. She shushed the baby quietly and hugged her to her chest. "Shhh….hush now." The infant's piercing cries was reduced to uncertain whining as Libby ran her fingers though her hair and spoke to her in quiet, soothing tones. "It's alright, sweetheart….it's alright. Don't cry. Everything's going to be alright. We'll take care of you."

When the baby was totally quiet and still against her shoulder, she rubbed her back and addressed Silver again. "I'm disgusted with you, Silver; but I will help you….for the child….you really believe her parents are alive?"

Silver softened as he watched her comfort the baby; she at least deserved a decent answer. "They have to be. Jimbo and his lass can't have died, Libby…." His voice sounded a little too despairing, so he cleared his throat and examined the baby with his hands behind his back. "I have no idea what our next move should be."

Libby sighed and lay the little lass back on the pallet she was on earlier; when the baby girl objected, she put the half-full bottle of milk back to her mouth. "We will…have to wait n' see, I suppose. If they are alive, they'll be coming back for her…." After along hesitation, Libby spoke up with a tone of finality. "I think you should stay put for now."

"WHHAAATT?" This was not what he had planned at all: just the opposite as a matter of fact. He jabbed a finger at Libby. "We can't stay here; I'm a fugitive, woman! We're takin' a voyage in the longboat as soon as it's repaired."

To his despair, Libby was neither changing her mind nor intimidated, she put her hands on her hips. "I ain't goin' on a voyage in that thing, John. And neither is she."

Silver drew back with a red eye burning through his dangerous glare. "What're ya tryin' to do? Get me arrested, woman?"

Libby crossed her arms, not in the least bit scared by the danger in his voice. "Don't get the tone with me, John Silver. I can't afford to let you get arrested anyhow. I got a business to run and a child to care for, thanks to you." When he relaxed, she continued to stir in the pot. "I'm well aware you're a fugitive, Silver. And that's why we can't just go bargin' in on other planets looking for her parents. Your best bet is to stay here undercover until we think of something. And even if we did take a voyage, we wouldn't find her parents, anyway. If they are alive, they'll be comin' for her. Where did you say they crashed again?"

Silver shrugged in irritation. "I don't know, woman. It was some bloom blazin' deserted terrain of a planet."

Libby nodded as if she already knew and were explaining it to him, which irritated him to no end. "Two planets over: yes. And voyagers nearby usually wind up here to stay while their ships are repaired."

_Oh. _She really was witty….and she was right. Silver sighed and leaned against the counter restlessly. He _hated _staying in one place. "How long?"

Libby didn't even turn around. "We're a quarter of the way across the galaxy from Montressor….and they might need some time to recover before they take on another voyage."

This got Silver's attention. "Recover?"

Libby turned to him as if he should have already figured that out. "They could've very well been injured in the least, John. And only one might be able to take the next voyage. I would give them two months before I even started thinking about….."

"WHAT?" Silver still couldn't even bear to process the possibility of Jim being injured because of his pirating, let alone being stuck….. "Libby, I…." A glare from Libby stopped him. He couldn't stay here for two months, it was practically prison. "I ain't staying no two months woman. I'm goin' to check Montressor as soon as…."

Libby stopped him there. "You ain't going to Montressor, Silver. Their security is too high." Silver sighed in surrender because she was right again. Libby perked up when she realized he knew she was. "And besides…" She put a lid over the pot. "You're going to help me care for the child while I keep my business goin'."

Silver gritted his teeth and pointed his finger at her to argue, but a baby was shoved into his arms before he could say anything else. Libby set to work wiping the counters and picking up things. "Now, burp her while I tidy the place up. Opening time is in thirty minutes and my cook's out, so you'll have to tend to her for the day….."

Silver felt more stress than he had since he chose to save Jim instead of the treasure. The baby kicked when he held her at arm's length from himself. He turned to Libby. "Burp her? How in bloom blazers am I supposed to….?"

Libby never even turned around. "Lean her against your shoulder and pat her back until she burps."

"What the devil….you mean they can't do that themselves?" He did as she said when she looked convinced he'd gone crazy.

Libby dropped the pot she had picked up and ran over to them in a panic. "For heaven sakes, John! Not so hard!"

Silver startled and nearly dropped the little lass at her reaction; he rolled his eyes and patted her back in a more gentle fashion. _What a waste of…_ He began to plead again. "Libby, I…."

Libby straightened the last turned chair. "That's good."

With new found confidence, Silver kept patting until he heard the softest of burps in his ear. He smiled down at those big, innocent blue eyes. "That's all ya got, lass?"

Libby was back behind the counter now. "Probably not. Better try again."

_This ain't all bad…._ Just when Silver began to relax, a gagging noise made him freeze. When he looked down, a white substance was running down his black jacket. Silver hastily shoved the guilty-looking little one into Libby's arms and used the towel she passed him to wipe off the vomit. He must have looked as disgusted as he felt, because Libby was smiling as she cleaned the baby's face with a different towel. "It's only spit up, Silver….babies do it all the time!"

Silver was in no mood to discuss "what babies do". He threw down the towel. "I ain't cut out for this, woman!"

But Libby had already moved on to something else. She shoved the baby's sac over to him with her foot as she stirred the mixture in the pot again, which was starting to smell like heaven. "I'll give ya something easier, then. Find Sara Beth something comfortable to wear."

Silver slammed the sac on the counter with a loud thud. "Oh, land sakes…." Wait. He turned to Libby with a quizzical look. "Sara Beth?"

Libby nodded. "It was stitched into one of her little blankets. I believe it's her name."

"Oh….Sara Beth, eh?" The pirate ran a hand over his chin as he examined the curious little infant watching him over Libby's shoulder. He recognized Jimbo's dear mother's name, but not the other. Still, the sound of her name turned the corners of his mouth into a smile. _Aww….Jimbo. _He wondered how Jim cared for his little girl. He opened the sac with a cheerful smile at the big blue eyes that watched his every move. "Well, now. Let's find you somethin' to wear in all this…."

The first thing he spotted was his share of the treasure, which he shoved down into the bottom of the sac until he could find a better place for it. He fished around in the paper undergarments….baby bloomers, maybe…..bottles, blankets….until he finally found a few articles of clothing. The first one he drew out was an unbelievably tiny purple dress with a flowing skirt and a bow that tied in the back.

He turned it every which way like it was a foreign specimen, but Libby smiled. "That's pretty."

She just _had_ to be testing him. He glared down at the dress. "Now, how's the lass supposed to be comfortable in a thing like this? It's all scratchy on the inside!"

"Aah!" Little Sara Beth had kicked her feet and uttered the first sound that made sense to him. Silver gestured to her with a smile. "See? She agrees." He tossed the dress aside. "Let's find ya something else."

He fished around in the sac until he came up with a long, white dress made of soft cotton with a light pink silk ribbon that wrapped around the middle. Silver held it up with a grin. "Perfect! Long enough where ya can tuck it under her feet and everything. Don't even need socks."

Libby took a glance at it. "I think that's a perfect choice. Good job, Silver." The pirate dropped the dress on the counter with a small smile and started back upstairs to look for a place for his treasure, but Libby's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Can you get me a diaper?"

Now he was starting to feel like a tailor. He had only so much patience, and it was running out for the morning. Besides, he didn't even know what that was. He turned to object, but softened when one look at Libby manning the kitchen on her own reminded him she was keeping the place afloat herself today. He sighed and walked back to the sac with heavy steps. "I don't even know what that is, woman."

Libby looked exasperated now. "A diaper, Silver!" He must've still looked as confused as he felt, because she pointed down at Sara Beth's baby bloomers. "A diaper!"

Silver brightened. "Oooohhhh! Baby bloomers!" There were about a million of them in there; Libby snatched it from him when he handed her the first one he saw. "They aren't bloomers!" She turned to the baby, which for some reason was now laying on the countertop with a small blanket spread under her. She answered his confused look over her shoulder. "It's a diaper."

He pulled another one from the sac and held it between two fingers as he examined it. "And what is this 'diaper' for, anyway. I, for one, would hate to be wearing a paper…."

"The diaper is made to absorb, Silver." Libby lay a damp rag beside the diaper.

Silver suddenly felt horrified. "Ya mean it's for….?"

Libby nodded with a knowing smile. Now she knew he was clueless. "And it has to be changed, of course. And you're gonna learn how." She unlatched on side of the lass' diaper. "Now come here and…."

Silver swept his arms in front of him defensively. "NOOOOO!" He covered his eyes with his hand and just stood there.

Libby sounded exasperated. "John! If you're gonna care for this child when I can't, you've got to learn…."

The pirate was set; he was _not_….. "I ain't changin' it, woman! It ain't proper!"

"Since when do you care about proper?"

"Ya heard me."

"Silver! It's just part of her care!"

Silver turned to face Libby and uncovered his eyes, feeling very exasperated as he plead with her. "There's a fine line, woman…."

Libby sounded tired when she sighed. She shoved an apron into his chest and pushed him behind her. "Get in the kitchen. Everything you'll need for cookin' is in there. If you're not gonna help with the baby, then you can at least help me keep my business goin'. Just don't draw attention to yourself back there."

Silver tossed his hat and jacket under the counter as he examined the kitchen. _Oh…the kitchen, eh? _It was the usual: pots, cups, bowls, spoons, different kinds of heaters and stoves. Now this he didn't mind. He set to work almost immediately….using various tools in his mechanical arm to heat, crack, and cut various kinds of food. Little Sara Beth, now in a fresh diaper and the long cotton dress, looked content to lay on her pallet with Libby working nearby. She lay there grabbing at her stuffed animal and peering at the little storybook Libby had opened for her. She never seemed to notice the attention she got from some of the customers, but always looked his way whenever she heard his voice. Libby seemed fairly impressed with his work; as soon as she put in an order, he could usually have it sitting on the counter in less than five minutes. He didn't mind the work…..cooking was his favorite pastime aside from pirating, anyway.

The day seemed to fly by fast. Sara Beth was just starting to get fussy when Libby closed the inn for the night. Aside from them, there were no overnight guests to attend to.

Libby leaned against the counter. "Oh….what a busy day. Thank goodness no one asked for a stay." She looked at Silver when he smiled a triumphant grin at her. "You've done good work, Silver; I suppose it's worth changing all the diapers, anyway. You can stop for the night."

Silver tilted his head. "Not yet…there's a meal still cooking."

Libby looked confused. "Who's?"

He flung his apron on the rack. "Ours." He noticed Sara Beth peering at him from her pallet; when he met her eyes, she let out a small cry and went to fussing as kicked her feet. The pirate picked her up and held her in the air before giving her a hug. "Hi, darlin'!" He tucked the rest of her dress under her feet. "I'll hold ya a while; you got to be getting tired of that blasted pallet."

Silver caught Libby smiling in the corner of his cyborg eye. "What?"

Libby laughed and stared wiping the counter tops. "I think she's taken a liking to ya, Silver."

Silver looked down at Jimbo's little girl resting calmly on his shoulder. "That's a good t'ing, right?"

Libby nodded. "She's a good child."

Silver smoothed down the brown curls that had gone astray. "Raised by the best."

After dinner, Silver felt too cooped up and _finally _convinced Libby to let him take them out in his longboat. Libby eventually relaxed and enjoyed the ride after a while, but he was delighted to find that Sara Beth absolutely loved it from the beginning. She started squealing as soon as they lifted off. Silver cracked a smile and shook his head; after all, how could she not? Her eyes even lit up the same way his did. _Just like her Pap. _

And she was quite a spirited little young'un; she cooed and laughed when he told her stories to indicate she was listening, cried when anyone tried to cover her little hands, and was hardly ever afraid. Silver found himself quite comfortable around Libby as well, and often chose to help her around the inn. There was the occasional scrap with her…..like when she made him pay for more baby supplies, or when she would get after him for his actions. But she was happy when Silver improved with his care for the little lass; the only thing that was left to Libby was changing the baby's diapers. He guessed if it came down to it, he would leave a soiled one on her until she changed it herself. After a few weeks, caring for and feeding her was no trouble to him. He soon found that his theory about explaining things to her worked when she got fussy. Whenever they felt trapped, he would take her along on a walk around Callinar, all the while sharing his favorite memories with her.

Only so much time could pass before he started to grow restless, however, so he soon started contemplating what his next move would be if Jim or his lass never came for their Sara Beth. He found himself lightly bouncing Sara Beth on his knee when he had somehow gotten through a day in the kitchen, consumed by memories of a nightmare in which Jim had been consumed by the fire of the ship. He hardly noticed Libby going about until she took the baby from him. When he looked up, he found concern in her comforting eyes and tapped the tips of his fingers together.

Libby rubbed the back of a drowsy Sara Beth as she examined him. "You're getting worried about them aren't you, John?"

Silver sighed and looked up at her, suddenly feeling short of breath. "What if I am the murderer of Jim and Sara Beth's mother, after all, Libby? I never even got to see the lad after he let me go. I…I can't…."

"There's no way you could've known they were on that ship, John." Silver turned saddened eyes to Libby, and realized the sincerity of her words when he looked her in the face. _Still…._ Libby shifted the sleeping infant higher onto her shoulder. "Do you need to sleep?"

Silver shook his head and lit his pipe. "T'ink I'll sit up a while." He didn't want to sleep, not with the nightmares of bomb fire consuming Jimbo hanging over his mind like a solar cloud.

Libby must have read his fears, because he was in no mood to hide them; she was one of the few who saw his slightest vulnerabilities, but he didn't mind too much….he trusted her. She lay a hand on his shoulder as she attempted to comfort him. "Give 'em a little more time, Silver. If they don't show soon, we'll think of something else, alright? Without getting you in trouble, that is."

Silver nodded and rubbed his hand over his eyes to fight off the massive headache threatening to take over. Libby grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around the baby. "Well, I'm putting her down and then I'm off to bed. Tomorrow's an off day, so don't worry about kitchen duties tomorrow. You might like to join us on a walk instead." And with that, she disappeared up the stairs.

At times like this, he and Libby would both be upset because they practically felt married, but it wasn't bad. At least he had someone. He pulled the wedding photo from the sac and blankly stared at it awhile before dozing into a haunted sleep in a chair. But those bright eyes in the midst of the nightmares made no sense.


	7. Chapter 7: The Cold

**Chapter 8 The Cold**

_Krista_

"_Marrrar rar rar rar…." _

"Mmmmm….." Krista winced and tried to pry her eyes open as she reached up to the floating blob that was rubbing against her cheek. Her fingers found their gentle pet. "Hey, Morph…" she mumbled. She let out a deep sigh and was just drifting up into sleep when Morph changed into a trumpet and played her a nice little wake up tune. Krista jumped so high she fell off her bed.

"Morph! What…." He head snapped up at the sound of a knock on her door. "Krista!" Captain Amelia called to her from the outside. "You are scheduled for a watch!"

_My watch! _She had forgotten about that. She was out of uniform for this voyage, only acting on watch as scheduled. Dr. Doppler was there for additional support and astronomical advice should the need for it arise; only Amelia resumed her usual duties as captain, though she was quite discouraged that the _RLS Legacy _was no longer their ship. Krista felt guilty at times for not taking on her usual duties, but she knew it was best that she passed this time….she had too many other things on her mind to distract her. Instead, she spent her time thinking of places to search, locating the neighboring planets that could be near Flim and Sara Beth if they were alive, and mapping out a course for them to take. B.E.N. could send brief communications to them from afar, but all messages were from him; no word from Jim. They had been on the voyage for quite a few weeks now; they were expecting to arrive at the crash site very soon. Krista wondered if Jim would be coming soon as well. She hoped so, because him making the journey meant that he would be alright.

Krista hastily untangled herself from the covers. "I'm sorry; I'm coming. Be there in five!" She took Morph in both her hands and stroked him with her thumb as Amelia's footsteps faded away. "Thank you, Morph…I'm so sorry. You're the best!" She found a small cracker in the top drawer of her dresser and handed it to him. "Do you want to keep watch with me, Morph?"

He murmured a joyful noise in answer as he nibbled on the cracker. Krista spread the covers back on the bed and quickly pulled a comfortable, long blue dress with quarter sleeves and thick material to fight against the chilly air. She combed the knots from her long curls and fastened half of it back and pulled on her light brown boats. She secured a long light brown coat with white trimming around her and made her way to the deck with Morph nestled in her coat pocket.

The early morning wind whipped the hem of her dress against her ankles as she tried to make out the form of Captain Amelia in the thick fog. She hurried over to her figure. "Captain! I apologize for being late. I had trouble sleeping and…." She trailed off when she just made out greenery ahead of them. "Where are we, Captain?"

"We are near the crash site, Krista. We expect to reach it by midday." Her indifferent, matter of fact expression changed when Krista just stared at the deserted planet ahead. "Do you feel prepared for this investigation?"

Krista thought about how to answer the question as honestly as she possibly could. The more straightforward answer would be no….she would never be fully ready, but…..she couldn't stand not knowing. Her reply was hesitant, but steady. "The sooner the better, I suppose."

Captain Amelia's ears pricked up as she processed the response, but her eyes widened as if she were proud enough to actually consider letting Krista off the ship to investigate the site. She placed her hands behind her back and stood straight and tall. "Very good."

At the sound of footsteps, the two turned to see Dr. Doppler approaching from behind them. He broke into a brief run when he spotted them, and shared his news when he reached them. "Krista, I just got word from Jim."

Both of her hands covered her mouth as she gasped. "From Jim?"

Dr. Doppler wrapped an arm around his wife with a smile. "Yes, the message was for you. He and B.E.N. will be leaving on their voyage as soon as possible. They will be following our course on a smaller, faster ship….so they can catch up. According to my calculations, they shouldn't take long to catch us at all….provided there are no irregularities in space."

Krista was overjoyed, and yet….it still seemed a little soon for Jim to be taking the voyage. But if Sarah, B.E.N., and the officials at the Spaceport approved, then he was ready. He had apparently cooperated with the plans for his physical recovery in Montressor, but was he really ready for a voyage? Krista reasoned he was; she knew staying put would be worse for him than joining the mission to rescue his daughter. He had the right, and he was strong. She wanted him with her more than anything; she had lost count of the number of times she had longed to have him beside her to help her stay strong. But still….she had to ask.

"Is he really….ready for the voyage?"

"B.E.N. and everyone else seemed convinced." She must have looked doubtful, because Dr. Doppler laid a hand on her shoulder. "He's going to be okay….you'll see. He's strong; and he needs to know he's doing all he can to keep his family safe. The voyage will be good for him."

Krista smiled at the gentle, intelligent doctor. "I know." She peered at the greenery of a planet through the fog. "Did he say anything else?"

"Yes. That he loves you."

Krista whipped around, and felt a smile of relief spread across her face when she saw it was true. She nodded with a grin when she could gather herself. Dr. Doppler squeezed Amelia with a smile. "We will be exchanging word of our findings back and forth."

Captain Amelia seemed glad, but resumed her normal composure as captain of the vessel and looked ahead with Krista. "Well, we will be awaiting the word of Officer Hawkins, but right now we have a little over two hours before we land on the crash site where we will be in search of Sara Beth. Are you fit to keep watch until it is time to land?"

"Of course." Krista patted the pocket with Morph nestled inside. "I even have company."

"That'll do." She caught a softening in the captain's eyes as she and the doctor retired to their quarters for last minute rest. When they had gone out of sight, Krista placed her hands on the side edge of the ship as she peered at the planet where the _RLS Legacy _had burned, and Sarah Beth and Flim had crashed. Here they would find out whether Sarah Beth was alive, or lost. She could only hope to goodness that Flim had survived, because without him it was unlikely that Sara Beth would have lasted. This planet held the moment of truth for her, Jim, and all the voyagers. Morph eventually felt the vast mixture of emotions and emerged from her pocket to stare into the foggy horizon with her.

Krista sighed and pulled out her little sketch book that she had brought just for this voyage. At first, she intended to use it to keep a log of what they had seen and where they had been, for planning purposes. And she did just that, only most of it turned out to be like the telling of a story. Krista didn't take long to realize that she had left her locket behind, and had immediately felt the need to see a good memory of her family. So now, when the first page of the sketchbook was opened, there was a hand drawn picture of herself and Jim smiling down at a happy Sara Beth. She had taken care with the sketch, careful to get every detail right. Under the picture was a careful script that read "Our family", with all their names written under it. The next few pages were filled with loved ones; Dr. Doppler bent over a desk with sleeping children at his feet. Captain Amelia at the wheel of a ship, B.E.N. goofing off in the kitchen, Sarah working at the Benbow, and a half sketch of the pirate who had made such a difference in Jim's life…..Long John Silver. Though Jim had described him countless times, and Morph sometimes shift shaped into a small form of him, Krista just couldn't get the sketch right yet, but she always thought a while of practicing would lead to the right sketch, so she kept trying for Jim. She never asked Morph to shape against his will, though; he seemed to miss his previous owner too much to imitate him very often, which Krista completely understood.

She pulled back the cover to reveal the first page and ran her fingers lightly over Jim's face; she drew back her hand when one of Morph's little hands ran into hers while tracing the face of Sara Beth. She and Morph stared back at each other with sad eyes. "Aww," she held out both her hands for Morph to plop into and stroked the top of his head with her finger. "I know you miss them, too. We will be back with them before you know it."

Morph jumped back in excitement and rubbed against her cheek as she giggled; she smiled as he spotted the green planet through the fog. He seemed to be thinking; after a few moments, Krista watched as he eyed the planet. "What is it, Morph? That's the planet where….Sara Beth and Flim crashed. We are going to search there first….."

Morph made a series of high pitched squeaking noises that told Krista he was trying to tell her something. After a few moments, Morph shifted into the shape of Silver, the pirate she would never meet. Krista was surprised; Morph hardly ever changed into Silver. The only time she had seen him shift into the shape of Silver was whenever Jim asked him to change for her, and sometimes he still refused. But why now? Was he trying to tell her something? _How odd…. _"Do you miss him, Morph? I'm so sorry, I…." Morph interrupted with a knowing chirp and changed into the shape of a small inn she wasn't familiar with. Krista didn't understand; if he was trying to show her something he remembered, she couldn't place it. She held out her finger for him to use as a perch and stroked his head in a gentle, soothing way. "He's not here, Morph." Morph made a whimpering noise; before Krista could say anything else, the crew appeared on deck to prepare for the landing. She tucked Morph and her little book into her pocket and resumed her watch, careful to watch the crew. She climbed into the shrouds and helped manage some of the sails; the wind was still bone chilling. Her heavy coat saved her from the cold air, but her cheeks were slapped with the cold.

She came down when she heard Captain Amelia calling up to her. The ship came to a graceful landing despite the blowing winds. She wrapped her jacket more tightly around her as she watched the landing with Dr. Doppler. "Brrr….Why is it so cold? It wasn't cold before."

As always, Dr. Doppler reasoned an answer. "The winds of the galaxy must have shifted in some way, and caused an early cold front for this part of the galaxy. Aren't you glad we prepared for cold, too? Might want to put that into our next message for Jim." The fact that he remembered Jim's dislike for heavy packing made Krista smile.

Anxiety grew inside her as she, Dr. Doppler, Captain Amelia, and a few other crew members disembarked to search for the crashed longboat. Thoughts that Krista had pressed back for months now emerged inside her mind. _What if they aren't alive after all? _It is here they would find out if this was the case. Someone steadied her back when she stumbled; Dr. Doppler looked to his wife in concern. "Krista, are you alright?" He attempted to reason with the captain. "Amelia, I think maybe she should go back to the ship…."

"No!" Krista gasped out and brushed his hand away lightly. "I have to do this. Please."

Captain Amelia hesitated a moment to think, then straightened as she gave her answer. "Let her go."

It didn't take them long to locate the crash site; pieces of the longboat lay here and there…enough to lead a spread out trail. The fog still hung in the air, making it more difficult to see far off things. Strange, wild sounds made themselves known from all sides; Krista cringed when she thought of the possibility of her daughter having to stay for any length of time on this wretched planet. Morph had poked his head out of her pocket, but stayed in for warmth and security; she patted his head to assure him whenever he whimpered in fear of the surroundings. When they stumbled upon the longboat, their fear only expanded.

Nothing was left of what once had been a steady longboat: the sail was gone….the whole back end was gone….only the front was left. The ruined front end that had held Sara Beth was split in half and shattered on the sides, but the halves could still hold her basket. Had Krista placed her in the middle, she would have fallen through….but she had been a little more to the right….as far away from the raiding pirates as she could be. "Krista!" Dr. Doppler missed his grab for her when she darted to what was left of the longboat and flung herself over the shattered edge to peer into the floor where Sara Beth had been placed.

Nothing. No one there….not Flim…not their daughter….her sac wasn't even there. Nothing. Krista sank to the ground and confirmed her findings to the others. "Nothing," she said in a numb tone. That meant….there was still hope! Sara Beth and Flim might not be dead; they could still be out there somewhere! But….there was the possibility they could have fallen from the longboat during the crash. They would never know unless they searched the entire path the longboat had taken. As for searching the entire planet….it just couldn't be done unless they had somewhere they could turn to for resources nearby. And even if they found somewhere, it would take too long to search this desolate terrain of a planet. They could search weeks, months, years…..and still never know. The planet was too big, too wild, too unknown. Anything could happen to a lonely pair of outsiders.

"Officer Krista…." A woman crew member who had been part of the loyal staff on the RLS Legacy had interrupted her train of thoughts. She still wasn't sure why the woman had volunteered for the voyage, but she was pointing at something on the ground a few yards from where she was standing.

Krista approached the scene with tentative steps; at last, the fog blew over to reveal that she was peering at the lifeless body of Flim. Both hands flew to cover her mouth in shock. Flim. Mentor to her and Jim at the Academy, loyal sailor….happy father of a good family. The only one who would have been left to keep Sara Beth alive. Flim….dead. The cold had helped to preserve his body, but almost anyone could tell he had died as a result of the crash. His broken form was beaten and burned, made stiff from the chilly air that blew around his corpse. _No. _"Oh. Flim…." Her voice shook. He had died protecting their daughter. And now his wife and children would never see him again. Captain Amelia and the doctor had come up behind her to inspect the scene as well. Dr. Doppler laid a hand on her shoulder. "It couldn't be helped, Krista."

She couldn't breathe as she stared into his blank eyes. "He had a family….."

Captain Amelia leaned down and spoke to her in a low voice. "Take his sailor's hat. It's lying a few feet from him. We can take it back to them." She turned away and spoke in a firm voice everyone nearby could hear. "Arrange a burial."

Krista scooped up the hat and clutched it in her hands. The woman crew member approached her from behind, speaking in a melodic, quiet voice. "No sign of your daughter?"

Krista felt numb. "She's not here." _She's not here. _What were they going to do now?

Once Flim was buried, they estimated the path in which their longboat had fallen and walked it, searching for Sara Beth's body. The wind was icy in the setting sun by the time they traced back to Flim's grave again. Still nothing. Sara Beth was gone. Krista felt as if she were going to break under the panic rising in her chest. What had happened to their daughter? She sank to her knees in front of everyone, fighting back sobs. "Where is she?"

Captain Amelia pulled her to her feet. "That's the best we could hope for, Krista. It means there is a strong chance she's still alive."

"Yes, but…." Krista looked around at the strange, intimidating terrain. "Anything could have happened. What if something got her….?"

"Ah, but remember Krista…." Dr. Doppler was speaking to her as he would speak to a classroom full of his students. "Her sac was gone as well; that means someone is indeed caring for her!"

"But how will we ever find her?"

Dr. Doppler put a hand on her shoulder and starting directing her toward the ship. "Don't get discouraged yet, Krista. I think we have plenty to be grateful for today. We will start with the neighboring planets. We need to plan how to alert everyone about….." Krista cast one last look over her shoulder at the desolated planet growing smaller behind them as the doctor droned on and on about raising awareness on the other planets. He was right; they could have found the worst today. And that alone was worth sending a message back to Jim. Their baby wasn't here, and she was being cared for by someone. Jim and B.E.N. had no reason to have to come to this dangerous planet, but Flim's lifeless form would stay forever. Otherwise, he would live in the honorable memories of his family and friends. Later on, she sat in the watchtower and drew a sketch of Flim in her book on the way to have the ship repaired at some place called Callinar Harbor, as a memory. Dr. Doppler thought the harbor would be a good place to spread word about Sara Beth; she hoped he was right. They would also be grounded for several days while the ship was being repaired, which would give them time to rest and think. Krista sighed and stared into space for courage. They had to keep looking, for Sara Beth.

They reached Callinar Harbor at nightfall, and were received by various types of repairmen, most of them being burly bearlike aliens they looked familiar to Krista, but she never took the time to place them. She sent a speedy message to Jim via B.E.N. while the captain spoke with the repairmen, telling him that there was still hope that Sara Beth was alive, the news of Flim's death, their location, and her love. She wondered if they had set off yet, and how fast they would be coming. If it were completely up to Jim, they were coming at full speed now. She made sure to add that they were grounded in Callinar for a while, and that Sara Beth was not on the wild planet. It usually took a while to transmit responses, so she left the communicator and decided to check for a reply the next day. She was tired, and so was everyone else. They were still lacking a place to stay.

The Captain pointed out an inn not far from the harbor. _The same inn Morph had shown her! _But Morph was asleep in her pocket against the cold, and Krista needed to secure them a place to stay before it got too cold. She ran for the inn, hoping it wasn't already closed. The air carried a moisture that made it feel warmer here, but it was still ice cold as she ran up the pathway. She was just a few feet from the inn when a pretty, plump bearlike woman came out with a set of keys to lock the door.

"Wait!" Krista brushed her hair out of her eyes as the woman turned to her in confusion. She forced the words of her explanation as she struggled to catch her breath in the icy wind. "Please, we are grounded here….with no place to stay….do you have…..somewhere to stay for the night? Please….we have pay."

The woman's green eyes seemed to widen in recognition for a moment, but Krista couldn't tell if it was because of her or if it was something due to suddenly having so much business. The woman opened the door to the inn and stepped aside. "Come in," she said in a kind voice that instantly gained Krista's trust.

Krista started apologizing as she removed her coat. "I'm so sorry it's late….we've been on a search party and just got here moments ago…." Krista stopped and looked around. The inn was warm and cozy. Much like the Benbow inn that Sarah ran, the kind that made you feel right at home. Krista turned back to the woman. "You have a wonderful inn."

"Thank you." The woman closed the door and hung Krista's coat on a rack for her before making her way to the counter. "How many in your crew?"

"We're a small crew; about fifteen counting me and the captain. Is there enough room for all of us?"

"You said you're on a search party?"

Krista hesitated a moment, but if they were going to spread word, the inn would be a good place to start. "Yes, I'm….looking for my baby daughter."

The woman looked thoughtful a moment, then took a set of keys from the key rack behind the counter. "I believe we can find room; let me check to make sure. Wait here."

The woman disappeared up the staircase; a few minutes later, she returned with the biggest of the burly bearlike men she had seen yet at the harbor. But it wasn't just any man….it was a pirate, a pirate she knew well. One she thought she'd never meet. The mechanical arm and leg seemed to weigh heavy as he made his way down the stairs behind the innkeeper. Krista found herself frozen, staring into the cyborg eye of the great pirate. She finally forced her mouth to form the whispered words forming in her thoughts. "Long John Silver…."

The pirate's mouth formed into the kindest of smiles when she spoke his name. His good eye was kind as he unfolded his natural arm toward her. And she found herself staring in the blue eyes of her long lost baby girl, nestled safely in the great pirate's arm. Their healthy, strong little girl. "Sara Beth!"

…**Yay! Sara Beth and Krista are finally reunited :D Hey everyone, I'm so sorry it has been a while. It's been a busy couple of weeks and I have been working to finish up my Jungle Book story. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and that you will keep checking back. Thank you for your kind feedback; I always appreciate reading your helpful thoughts on the story. This chapter wound up taking longer than I expected, but it took quite a bit of thought in deciding how to describe Krista's journey. Next, we will see how Jim is doing. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy and I will do my best to post as soon as possible. Thanks for reading!...**


	8. Chapter 8: I Know

…**..Hi everybody! I would just like to say that I am sooo sorry for the longest wait ever and hope that you will still read with me. Since my last post, my summer ended and I am just now getting settled in for my internship at Disney World. I've been so busy this is the first time I've been online for more than five minutes since last Friday. But I am still working hard on the story. I hope you enjoy it and, as always, would love to hear your thoughts. And if you need something to read while you are waiting on another post, I have just finished my first story, **_**Deeper Into the Jungle**_**. If you like the Jungle Book, please feel free to check out the story in the Jungle Book Fanfiction. Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Until next time!...**

**Chapter 8 I Know**

_Miss Scroop_

_I know now. _That's all she needed. After years of searching for answers and sniveling to Silver, she finally found what she had been looking for. And it wasn't on his crew; no….it was one planet away from Callinar Harbor. A dim lighted, smuggling planet where pirates, thieves, and criminals gathered to lay low. Even with all the updated security, it was almost impossible to find one alien in the midst of all these convicts. Hardly anyone made their home there; most just outstayed their welcome and went about their business. But a select few, she and Mr. Scroop being among them, resided here on the mischievous planet of Marvar. Though they never had the best of raisings, they had survived one of the roughest places of the galaxy. A planet where one wrong word could get one killed in a heartbeat.

Most of the pirates from her current crew were already gone; they came here to deal with their latest share and went on their way. Though some had expressed curiosity over why Silver didn't just go ahead and kill that little infant, they weren't determined enough to find the answer. When she prompted the topic, they dismissed it and went on their way; after all, their crew didn't deal in personal affairs….and pirate crews weren't easy to find. She wasn't surprised when she spotted Silver's longboat at Callinar Harbor in passing; most of his kind were from there. And they didn't like to be bothered. There was no evidence that he had done away with that young one….might have someone he knew on the planet caring for it. But why? He never cared about anyone else's life before….much less a baby's. He didn't even know a thing about them!

But going to Silver and asking uestions was not on her itinerary; he wouldn't tell her anything…..was likely to just go ahead and get rid of her for good measure. So she just waited on her home planet. _They will all need money soon enough. _Sure as all could be, one of the pirates from her crew returned to deal with what little share he had left. Miss Scroop had all but given up, but she felt stuck all the same. She wasn't getting anywhere. Someone had to know the cause of Scroop's death and who was connected to it. As she and her crewmate sat at the bar one night waiting for their mugs, they talked about being on Silver's crew. He was happy to be on the crew, apparently he had had worse, but she argued that she hated it. Silver's main motivation was to get treasure; to her, it seemed there like there would be something else to it. The other crewmember just shrugged and accepted his mug from the little two-limbed bartender they had been making fun of earlier. She was literally a head with two only two limbs to use for walking and handling things, but she managed to get around….and bartend. She spoke in a high, unattractive voice when she slammed Miss Scroop's mug in front of her. "Di' you say you wa' on Silva's crew?"

Miss Scroop rolled her eyes at her crewmate and leaned against the counter. "Yes, you know him?"

"Yea, I wuz on 'is crew once."

Miss Scroop breathed a menacing laugh and took a sip from her mug. "Oh, do tell."

"We went to Treasa' Planet…."

Miss Scroop choked on the sip she had just taken, earning a curious look from her crewmate and a studying from the bartender….Krailoni, or something… The bartender eyed her carefully. "You look familia'…..li' someone I knew on tha crew…..Mr. Scroop was his name, if I rememba'."

This was it! _Just play dumb. _"Mr. Scroop….yes, I knew him well. Haven't seen him since the voyage…..is he still alive?"

The manner in which she addressed Scroop's death infuriated her; it was as if he were a fool! But Miss Scroop allowed the little pirate to continue. _This might be my only chance. _Krailoni, she wanted to say, spoke casually. "Oh, tha' ol' spider? No, mate! He fell from grea' height on Treasa' Planet while ga'ding tha' ship! Found 'is remains on the nex' phase of our mission."

"Oh…." Miss Scroop dug her pinchers into the surface of the counter to keep steady. "How did this happen? I'm sure he didn't just….jump….after all."

"Not uite…..we though' he got in a scuffle wi' that boy….the one Silver wen' soft on…..and fell overboard some'ow."

_She knows! _Miss Scroop just managed to keep from picking her up by the hair and forcing her to tell all; she kept her calm composure for now. "Go on."

And the little head with two limbs told her everything she had failed to find so far about his death. How they had come to be the crew of the _RLS Legacy_, how Scroop had scuffled with the boy from the very beginning, how the great Long John Silver went soft on the puny boy who possessed their map, how Scroop had died trying to be rid of the boy….everything.

Her crewmate had long gone…..saying that Silver's business was Silver's concern. _"If he wants to protect the boy, he has his reasons. Let it go." _But for Miss Scroop, it went much deeper than that. "Silver's business" concerned the loss of one of the only people she had ever loved….and he would pay.

Little Krailoni would never realize how precise she was in her parting words to the spider-like alien. "Make 'im pay. He be the reason we spen' time in prison!"

Miss Scroop just gave a sinister chuckle. _You have no idea. _She decided to let the little head with legs live just a while longer, just because she didn't want to bother with it for now.

But Silver aside…she had more important business to deal with now. Finally, she could take action. The boy, the First Officer of their last voyage, was responsible for the loss of her love. Jim Hawkins. And now he had a loving wife and a beautiful baby daughter….Scroop didn't. _Oh, what fun this will be. _There wouldn't be a family when she was finished. And Silver….maybe she would let him grieve a while, like she had been having to do for the last few years. She might even let him watch. But Silver was not to be ignored…..with his huge burly build, and mechanical weapons ready to read his uick thoughts….well, there was a reason he was one of the most feared pirates. This would take some planning. But she _was _a uick thinker.

She stretched, deciding to sail to Callinar in the morning. Besides, it had been a very eventful day….

_Jim Hawkins _

_Cold! _Jim held tight to the wheel of the ship as the winds of space blew cold against the ship's course. Packing had been the least of his concerns when he _finally _left home to join the search for his daughter. All he had to fight against the freezing winds was his old black jacket. He kept his mind occupied by the task of staying on course and watching his crew of five regulate the sails. The ship was small and reuired a lot of attention, but it was fast. At the rate he had ordered, they would reach Callinar within the next few days.

He missed Morph, Silver's little space blob was good for times like this….but Krista needed him more, and Jim still had B.E.N. His robot friend was constantly acting as electronic navigator, but that didn't stop him from talking. Talking…..talking…..talking….. Between that, captaining the ship, fighting against the dull pain that still raced across his ribs from time to time, and focusing on the memories of his family, he was able to dismiss the thought of nightmares that still haunted him in his sleep.

When Krista sent a message to them that Sara Beth was not on the planet where the longboat had crashed, Jim didn't know what to think. He was relieved that there was no evidence Sara Beth had died in the crash, as they thought, but Flim had. And if their baby wasn't with him, then where was she?

He would never have thought someone could feel so worried, so helpless…worthless. His daughter was still lost, and all he could do was wait for word and hope for a miracle as he made his way to the place where he would meet Krista. One night, when he was alone on deck steering the ship, voices from the past echoed across his mind, as if the people who had said them were standing right there on deck with him.

"_You got the makin's of greatness in ya….." _

"_Jim, I don't wanna lose you…" _

"_I've never met anyone like you, Jim Hawkins….."_

"_Well, I hope I'm there….catchin' some of the light comin' off ya that day….." _

_Light? _There had been so much light in his life since then; Jim wasn't sure he could pick which day he wanted old Silver to see if he could choose. But right now was one of the darkest times that had ever occurred his life….and he wanted his old pirating mentor there more than ever. Jim ran a hand down his numb face. _How can I do this alone?_

He spent the next bit of time in a daze, feeling only half sane with all the voices and memories running through his mind. Sometime in the early morning hours, B.E.N. came clanking across the deck as fast as he could go….which was pretty fast for a robot. Jim jumped from his position at the wheel when the robot appeared, yelling in his face excitedly. "JIMMY! I just got another message from Krista! AND YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT'S HAPPENED!"

Jim felt a knot rise in his throat as the robot shook him back and forth. "What?" was all he could get out.

"SARA BETH is ALIVE, Jimmy!"

"Wait….what?" The words he was beginning to fear he would never hear could not process in his mind fast enough.

B.E.N. waited a few moments, then threw his robot arms into the air with a smile. "She's alive!"

Jim tapped his fingers to his chin in deep thought. "You mean…..they found her?"

"Yeah….." B.E.N.'s arms fell back to his side in exasperation. "Ya know, Jimmy…..I thought you would be cheering by now….or smiling…..or….."

Jim ignored the robot entirely. A slow smile made its way across his face when as the words became a reality for him. His next uestion was spoken through a laugh of joy. "She's alive?!"

B.E.N. looked confused. "Yeah. That's what I said…"

Jim never gave his robot friend time to finish. He threw his arms around the robot, as he had done when they escaped the explosion of Treasure Planet, and spun his scrawny friend around in a circle. "SHE'S ALIVE, B.E.N.!"

B.E.N. used his shoulder to steady himself when Jim sat him down and looked into space excitedly. When he was steady, the robot seemed like he finally got it. "Yeah. Can you believe it?"

Uestions still formed in Jim's mind. He ran a hand through his close cropped hair and spread his hands out to B.E.N. "Di….did Krista say anything else?!"

B.E.N. thought a moment. "Besides the usual 'I love you' and 'Drive carefully because the winds are picking up'…..no." Jim got that the last part of the message was partially added in by B.E.N., but he was already tapping the side of his face with two fingers, trying to figure out a way to get there faster. He could tell B.E.N. was making an effort to distract his thoughts. "She said that they would be waiting there for you when we get to Callinar with Sara Beth….. and with the ones who saved her."

It worked. Jim snapped his head in B.E.N.'s direction with wide eyes. "Someone….saved her?" B.E.N. nodded, but he wanted to know more. "Who?"

"She didn't say, Jimmy. But we owe our lives to somebody."

Jim stared into space without responding for a few moments, drumming his fingers on the wheel. Their baby daughter was alive. He didn't know how it happened, or who saved her, or what she had been through…..but she was alive. And they could take her home and raise her in safety, as they should. With this in mind, Jim gave the crew, who had gathered around them to celebrate the news, his final order. "Alright, guys. We need to get to them as soon as we can." He turned to the old crew member in charge of the engines. "Full speed ahead."

B.E.N. cringed. "Jimmy! Didn't you hear Krista's message?"

Jim faced the robot with a mischievous grin; for a moment, he felt like his old self. "Yeah. She said drive carefully….and we will, at full speed."

B.E.N. rolled his blue computer-like eyes and opened the circle with the navigational functions to begin typing in silence. When Jim shook his head and turned away to steer, he caught sight of Flim's young son standing with his back facing them a few yards away, watching the fading stars. Jim felt his smile fade into a frown when he saw how still the teenager was standing. Jim had let the boy on the crew with very little thought, but now he uestioned whether or not this was the right decision. Flim was gone, and if something went wrong of this voyage, his oldest son could be too. Jim just found out that his family was still intact, but Flim's family would never be whole again.

The first officer turned to the crew member who ran the engines. "Hey, hold full speed a sec, alright?" He gave the old alien the wheel and made his way to the boy in caution. How could he tell him that he would never see his father again? He and Krista owed this family everything; and the one thing they wanted, they couldn't give. As Jim drew closer to the boy, a memory of a time when he was hurting crossed his mind…

….."Look, what you did…" Jim took in a breath, and offered all he could think of to say. "Thanks."

The old cyborg's mocking expression changed. "Didn't your pap ever teach ya to pick your fights a bit more carefully?"

Jim continued "swabbing the deck". _Yeah, right. _

The burly pirate looked sympathetic. "Your father not the teachin' sort?"

Jim turned his back. "No, he was more of a….taking off and never coming back….sort."

"Ooohhhh…." Silver rested his arms on the side of the ship. "Sorry, lad."

Jim set the mop aside and stared over the side of the ship, never meeting the pirate's eyes. "Hey, no big deal." He shrugged. "I'm doing just fine." He turned his gaze to the old cook for a split second. Maybe he would be the one to understand…..

But the old cyborg just ran a hand over his chin. "Is that so?" Suddenly, sympathy and thoughtfulness gave way to determination and loud commands as he told Jim his demands. "Well….since the captain has put you in my charge, like it or not, I will be poundin' a few skills into that thick head of yours to keep ya out of trouble."

Jim flinched when the old pirate tapped his huge fingers to his forehead. "What….?"

The pirate swept his arms out in front of him, never giving him time to finish. "From now on, I'm not lettin' you out of me sight….."

He was just like everybody else. Jim felt a flash of anger as he raised his objections. "You can't do tha….."

Silver spoke over him, counting on his fingers as he limited Jim's freedom. "You won't so much as eat, sleep, or scratch you BUM without my say so." He pounded his mechanical fist on the side of the ship in finality.

Jim just had to let the pirate know where he stood. "Don't do me any favors!"

"Oh, you can be sure of that, my lad." The cyborg patted his chest in a mocking manner. "You can be sure of that." His yellow cyborg eye shined as his laughter sounded in space…..

But Silver hadn't been heartless; in fact, he had done him the biggest favor he could ever give at the time. And it was because of the time he had taken with Jim that he was where he was today. Suddenly, Jim knew the best way he could approach the situation. He tapped the young boy on the shoulder. "Hey, you got a sec?"

_Libby_

The next few moments were full of cries and laughter as young Krista reunited with her baby. Libby stood by with a smile as she watched Silver hand the little one over to her mother with the kindest look in his eyes…..the same look she remembered he had when they were younger. He shoved his hand in his pockets with a smile as he watched the young lady fall to her knees and cry over her daughter as she hugged her tight. Suddenly, little Morph flew out of the young mother's pocket and cried out his small noises as he clung to Silver's face.

Now Silver was the one who was about to cry. "Morph!" He cupped his hands around the small blob with a smile and laughed as the little shape shifter licked his face. Libby shook her head with a smile and occupied herself with filling a bowl with stew and setting it on the counter for Morph.

Morph cried and stretched out in surprise when he spotted her. It had been an eternity since she had seen the little space blob. She cupped her hands around him and rubbed her cheek to his when he flew over to her. "Oh, Morph."

All at once, Morph changed into a straw and sucked the bowl clean in one slurp. He fell back into the bowl when he finished. "Me me me me…." With a loud burp, he settled back inside the bowl with a satisfied grin. Libby smiled, and met Silver's gaze when she looked up. He was smiling back at her in a touched way as Krista ran her hand through her little daughter's hair. Morph flew over to rest on his shoulder when he stomached the stew.

When the door opened and closed, they all turned to see a tall, sturdy catlike woman with large green eyes….the captain, Libby guessed…..and a clever looking, doglike man walk in from the cold. Their weary expressions melted into joy when they spotted little Sara Beth in her mother's arms. They ran over to the couple with expressions of relief and reunited with the little one as best as they could. The Captain was the first to stand and face them. Upon their entrance, Silver started backing off, but this only resulted in a face to face meeting with the captain when she rose.

Her ears pricked up in recognition when their eyes met; she suinted at Silver's apologetic smile. "You?"

Silver took off his hat….for sweet talk purposes, Libby guessed. "Why, Captain….."

"He saved Sara Beth, Amelia." The doglike man was giving her a stern look.

Libby could tell the captain was a clever woman, most likely had already figured that out. She continued to address a cowering Silver in confusion. "But….how could you know….." Her large eyes narrowed when she put two and two together. The doglike man with glasses slung her over his shoulder, catching her just as she sprung for Silver. He made an attempt at a laugh before turning away to carry her outside. The captain was already telling Silver what she thought of him. "YOU BLAGGARD PIRATE…!"

Libby smiled in amusement when the door slammed. "Sounds like a lot of the friends you bring in here," she commented over her shoulder as she moved a pot from the eye of the stove.

Silver was still in a state of relief that she was gone. "Don't you give me a hard time, woman…." He panted.

They turned their heads when Krista rose to her feet, staring at them in search of answers. She stroked her daughter's curly hair before looking back to them with uncertainty. Silver straightened, addressing the young girl in a gentle voice. "Why, look at ya…..you got the same glow Jimbo does, standin' there holdin' your little girl. I bet he is so proud of the two of you…." Suddenly, his eyes grew desperate as he drew in deep breaths to keep himself steady while he spoke to her in a serious tone. "Krista, ya got to tell me about Jimbo….. Where is he, Krista?"

Libby gripped the edges of the counter. _Please don't let that boy be dead. _She had failed to realize that he wasn't with the girl. Of course that was the first thing Silver would ask for. If the boy had died, he would never forgive himself.

Krista must have put it all together too, because she answered cautiously. "He's alive. He was just….too hurt to take the voyage right away…."

"Hurt…." Silver steadied himself with one hand on the counter with another clutching his chest; his chest was in rythum with his rapid breathing.

"He's hurt, not dead!" Libby snapped at Silver before he could have a heart attack. She turned her attention back to Krista. "How bad?"

"He was….thrown down when the ship exploded. I think it was just after someone shot me…. He had broken ribs, shards of hot metal in his back, and some internal damages. I left as soon as I was able to move, but he needed more time. He wanted to come so badly but….he was so hurt I just couldn't let him come. I think he still resents me a bit for that."

Silver's cyborg eye burned red. "I'm gonna kill that crew…"

Libby nudged him with her hip, then addressed Krista to cover for him until they could get on better terms. "But his health is improving?" When the young mother nodded, Libby got to her point. "Well, from what I've learned, he sounds like a determined young man. How have you kept him from following you anyway?"

"He could barely sit up when I left, but his mother kept Spaceport passes hidden from him until he was ready to use them for a voyage himself."

Silver stood up straighter. "How long until he takes the voyage?"

Krista looked up to answer him. "He's on his way now."

Libby was surprised. "Now?"

Krista bit her lip. "Now. I don't know if he's completely well, but if Sarah thinks he's ready, he's well enough. And we expect to see him soon; he is on a much smaller, faster ship….and probably has it going full speed as we speak. But now that you've saved our daughter…." She stroked little Sara Beth's cheek. "I suppose he is what we're waiting for."

Silver half whispered his next statement. "Jimbo's coming this way?"

Krista grabbed her daughter's little hand as she gave the pirate a gentle smile. "Yes, Jim's coming this way."

Silver sat sunk down in one of the table chairs, tapping with ends of his fingers together sadly. "Then…." He looked back up at Krista and Libby. "Maybe it's best I go."

Krista grabbed the pirate's arm with her free hand and knelt down, practically begging him to stay.  
"No! You can't leave now….not when you and Jim are so close to seeing each other. And I've barely had the pleasure to meet you! Why do you have to go now? Don't you want to see Jim?"

Libby crossed her arms and shot Silver a glare to tell him how selfish she thought he was being. Silver met her eyes a moment before he answered Krista. "'Course I want to see him! More than anything. I just….don't think he'll be wantin' to see me!"

Krista proved to be uite persistent. "Why do you think that?"

Silver kept a surprisingly soft tone when he spoke to Krista, but Libby knew he was about to burst on the inside. "Because, Krista…..I'm the whole reason this mess happened. It was me who sent that crew to raid your ship, it was my crew that caused you and Jim to get hurt, it was me who separated you from your daughter. It was me. And I don't t'ink you and Jimbo will be forgivin' me for that."

_Well this is a little ridiculous! _When Krista looked to her for help, Libby figured she would go ahead and state the obvious. "She knows that, Silver."

Krista took his hand with her tiny one. "And I do forgive you….and so will Jim. You…..are the reason Jim had a hope of starting a future, you saved Jim's life, and now….you saved our daughter from that crash. The way I see it, we owe our lives to you. And even if Jim is a little upset, he wouldn't want you to leave. There hasn't been a time that Jim went without wishing you were there to share the joy in his life. You may have been apart of the attack on the _RLS Legacy_, but our baby is alive because of you...and this kind woman."

Libby answered when Krista looked up to her for a name. "Libby."

Krista smiled a tiny smile at her before turning back to Silver. "I can assure you he won't want you gone, Silver. Please stay…..for Jim. And I would love to put a face to the pirate I've heard so much about."

The old pirate hesitated a long moment….looking from Krista to Morph, from Morph to Libby, and then finally to the big blue eyes of the baby nestled in her mother's arm. Finally, a smile spread across his face; Libby could hear the bewilderment in his voice. "Well…I um…." He fidgeted with his hat and gestured to the door that the doglike man had taken the captain through. "I s'pose I got through the worst part of it, anyway."

At Krista's beautiful smile, he gently lifted a cooing Sara Beth onto his knee with a smile. "And besides….." He ruffled the baby's hair gently. "She still needs Ol' Silver around to explain t'ings to her when she gets confused. Isn't that right, lass?"

Libby scoffed and shook her head; though she often teased Silver about his theory, he did have a way with the child. She seemed to stop crying at least long enough to heed what he had to say. And he had been doing very well with caring for the child.

Krista seemed to read her thoughts. "So you helped Libby care for her?"

Silver turned the tip of his hat. "Well, I…."

"He'll do anything but change diapers." Libby shared a knowing smile with Krista as Silver's eye burned red at her. Silver leaned down to Krista with one hand blocking his words on one side as he spoke to her in a low voice. "Libby's more of a natural at it than I am…..I just ain't comfortable with changin' the bloomers. It just ain't proper…."

Krista giggled before turning to Libby with a sincere look. "And Libby! How can we ever thank you?"

"Keep takin' good care if that sweet baby of yours, I suppose." Libby unfolded an apron and tied it around her to cook up dinner for the full house she had tonight.

Krista understood her action and stood. "Thank you for offering our crew shelter while we wait for Jim….we couldn't find another place to stay….."

Libby smiled over her shoulder. "Callinar is small; my inn is about the only one I know of around here."

The young mother took a few steps nearer. "Would you like some help?"

Libby turned to the young lady in surprise. "Have you worked in an inn before?"

She nodded. "Yes, I worked for Jim's mother in her inn for uite some time….before I went to the Interstellar Academy."

Libby handed her an apron with a smile. "Well, I suppose cookin' for a crew that size could take a while on my own."

Krista set to work with a laugh. The two chatted as they worked; Krista proved to be uite the hard worker….and seemed to enjoy it as well. Libby found herself uickly becoming friends with the young girl. If she had had a daughter, this is what she would hope she would be like: strong, kind, hard working, pretty, and independent. But Libby just shook her head clear and kept working; Krista would return home with her family soon anyway, and Silver would leave…..best not to get too attached.

Silver sat with the child for a while, but when the captain came in, still not looking uite so happy, he handed the child over to her with an apologetic grin. Captain Amelia just glared back as she took the baby in her arms. Once Sara Beth was in her arms, however, her expression changed into that of a loving, wide eyed mother as she greeted her. Silver started to say something, but Libby stopped him with an apron in his face.

"Get over here and cook! Don't even speak to each other; I won't have squabblin' in here."

Silver's eye burned red when he shot a glare at her, but he tied his apron around him and set to work at the back stove with the gears in his mechanical arms making uick work of the dish he prepared. Soon enough, as she knew he would, he was cutting up with people and whistling a tune. Krista and Libby laughed at his attempts to sing for a while, but Libby soon found herself annoyed.

"Silver! Hush! At least carry the tune! Goodness me….." She looked around when this got a few guffaws; Krista was shaking her head with a smile.

Silver slammed a pot on the counter and leaned on it with a smile. "Don't be spoilin' me fun, woman."

For the next while, they served the crew members their first portions. Libby knew they had been on limited rations when the majority came back for seconds and thirds. By the time dinner was over, everyone was already passed out or crawling into bed. Almost everyone had to double up in the rooms, but no one could have cared less at the moment. Libby made Krista and Sara Beth a warm pallet in her room and tucked the exhausted pair into bed. Before going to bed herself, she went to the tiny basement to make sure all the windows and back doors were locked. Everything seemed normal at first, but she turned back when she heard the sound of shutters banging together as a cold draft of wind blew through. The tiny basement windows were open. _That's odd. _Figuring the wind had blown them open, she pulled them shut and latched to bolt back together. Before she could even turn around, something hard hit her in the head. No sound…no anything…..everything just went blurry….and then…..black.


	9. Chapter 9: Gone

**Chapter 9 Gone**

_John Silver_

_Can't one just get some blasted sleeeeppp…..? _Not him, apparently. And aside from being a bit nervous about an encounter with Jimbo, he couldn't even say why. Giving up entirely, he got out of bed and grabbed his jacket before quietly pulling the door closed behind him. _Maybe I'll just slip out the back and take a stroll…. _He refrained from his usual whistling as he made his way through the dark, silent hallway. As he drew nearer to the back, he found himself growing more uneasy with every step. The old pirate paused and ran his mechanical hand over his chin suspiciously. Morph had settled on the other end of his pillow and went to sleep; surely Morph wouldn't be roaming the dark hallways!

"Somethin' ain't right," he murmured to himself as he took to the steps of the attic. When he reached the bottom, he heard a menacing hissing noise behind him. He swung around with his built in gun at the ready, but a scan of the area with his cyborg eye made it clear no one was there. He lowered his weapon. "Must be the bloomin' wind."

Just as he was about to turn away, he heard a low moaning noise from behind him. _Libby! _He whirled around to find her on the floor, trying unsuccessfully to raise herself up. He ran over to her and carefully supported her back with his hand as he helped her to sit up. "Libby! Are ya alright, woman? What in bloom blazers happened?!"

"I…I…." She was obviously trying to tell him something, but the pain in her head seemed to overwhelm her at the moment. Seeing nothing whatsoever in the basement, Silver lifted Libby and carried her up the stairs and into the kitchen. He knew her well enough to know she would never have allowed it if she could help it, but she had no strength to protest. He left her in a table chair and wet a warm rag. By the time he got it to her, she was coming around.

"What happened?" Beginning to think the best, he cracked a smile and tilted his head to the back. "Did ya take a little fall on the stairs?"

Libby was in no mood for nonsense. "There's been a break in, Silver. They knocked me out; I don't know who they are or how they got in. For all I know it could be one of the guests."

Silver went blank a moment. "There be no sign of a break in anywhere. You t'ink I should check the rooms?" For a moment, his thoughts drifted to the treasure he had stowed away….and Libby's hard earned money. What else could they want?

Libby was still holding the rag to her head to dull the pain. "Start with the guests….check on Krista and Sara Beth first. And hurry."

Oh!_ Jim's family! _Without further delay, he hurried up the stairs and flung open the door to the room. Krista was sleeping heavily on her side of the pallet by the fire, but the little blanket Sara Beth was normally sprawled on was vacant. A surge of panic went through Silver as he looked around the room and came up with nothing in sight. He shook Krista's shoulder and spoke to her as soon as she squinted at him in confusion. "Krista! Where's the little lass? Hurry now, ya have to tell me she's here!"

Krista spoke reassuringly through the drowsiness, as if trying to calm him down. "Oh, she's right here…" She reached over to touch the little blanket spread beside her and touched the empty center instead of a sleeping baby. Realizing this, she twisted around and stared at the empty space with shock in her widened eyes. She leapt into action almost immediately, pulling away blankets and pillows. "Sara Beth? Sara Beth!"

When she found nothing, she fell to her knees and searched under the bed, even looking out the window when she finished. Silver could see the panic in her eyes when she turned to face him. "Oh, no…..where is she, Silver?"

Silver had to catch himself on the rim of the door to keep from collapsing. _No! _"I…." He felt his breathing increase as he stared into the eyes of the distressed young mother. He couldn't speak enough to explain yet; instead, he stumbled to the nearest door and pounded on it with his hard fist. "Open up!"

Within seconds, an old crewmember opened the door with a look of caution. "Yes?"

"There's been a break in here….and the child is gone. You seen anything?"

He could tell by the shock in the crewmember's eyes he knew nothing. Instead of waiting for an answer, he moved on to the next room. He heard Krista and the crewmember doing the same along with him. They found out soon enough that everyone was just as or more clueless than they were. No one had seen, or heard, a thing. Since finding the child was their mission, the vast majority seemed depressed. Even after Captain Amelia gathered everyone in the dining room and questioned each one, there was no trace of Sara Beth. They looked everywhere: every room, in the kitchen, in storage, under beds, under tables, outside the area…nothing.

Krista was beginning to cry when they all met up in the kitchen. Everyone was in shock; even Captain Amelia and the doc were at a stand still. Libby was able to slowly make her way around by then, but her responses were not as sharp as they normally were yet. Silver caught a glimpse of sadness in her eyes as she laid a hand on Krista's shoulder and made her way around the counter. With a thoughtful look, she pulled the baby sac that had been behind the counter since he brought it here and began to look through it. She pulled out a piece of paper with a look of confusion and had to squint at it to read it clearly; a horrified look spread across her face as she passed the letter to him and frantically searched through the rest of the sac. Silver skimmed over the letter quickly.

"_Dear Jim Hawkins,_

_If you want to see your precious daughter alive again, meet me on the outskirts of Callinar __**ALONE**_. _Any tricks and she dies. I look forward to seeing you there."_

Silver dropped the letter, not even having enough sense left to stop Krista from snatching it up to look at it. He was frozen stiff. _But….who the devil would….._

As if in answer to his question, Libby fished out a tiny slip of paper and handed it over to him. His name was scrawled over the flap in neat handwriting that for some reason looked familiar. When he flipped it open, four haunting words gave him all the answers he was looking for.

"_I know._

_-Miss Scroop"_

_Libby_

Libby dumped the remains of the sac on the counter. Nothing but those two notes. That sac had been the only place she could think to look. The note fell from Krista's hands to the floor; the young mother remained frozen a moment before bursting into tears. The crew was beginning to pass the note back and forth with stunned expressions. When no one else stepped up, Libby drew Krista into her arms and patted her back as she sobbed into her shoulder. The poor thing was in such a state of shock she could do nothing but cry. Libby attempted to calm her down. "There, there now….."

Libby turned at the sound of rapid breathing from behind her; she had paid little attention to Silver as he read his note. And right now, he was furious. His cyborg eye burned bright red as he glared into the distance with trembling hands. Libby hadn't really been able to read the note, but she watched as Silver leapt into action and flung the slip of paper into the fire. A heavy metal pot was the next thing to be flung into the flames.

Silver was as furious as she had ever seen him. With one fling of his arms, a whole counter full of glasses and plates when sailing to the floor with a loud crash. "AH!" Silver yelled. "BLOOM BLAZERS!"

Libby held a frightened, sobbing Krista even tighter as more pots rained from a shelf Silver bumped with his mechanical fist. Captain Amelia seemed appalled at the sudden outburst of rage. She took a few steps toward the raging pirate. "What do you think you're…."

Silver turned on them all, eye still burning. Libby could tell he was most likely directing his next explanation to her and Krista since they were the only ones who knew of her, but right now it looked as if he were speaking to no one in particular. "IT'S MISS SCROOP! She knows everything. EVERY BLASTED THING!"

Captain Amelia look confused, Libby gasped, and Krista turned her face toward them with frightened eyes. "She wants Jim."

Libby rubbed her back, feeling useless for the first time in a while; all she knew to do was comfort the young lady. "Ssshhh, Krista. There's got to be something we can do. At least your daughter is still alive." Krista nodded, but fresh tears were beginning to spill down her crumpling face again. Libby just held her and tried to comfort her as she cried. "There, there now….."

Little Morph had appeared from his search and melted into a puddle of tears at the thought of little Sara Beth being lost. Libby reached for the little puddle as she listened to him wail. "Morph…." She tickled the puddle so that he would change back into his usual solid form. "Shh…." He landed on her shoulder with a saddened sniff, but she managed to quiet him a little. The poor thing. _He loves his family too. _

The sound of rattling startled her. She whirled to see Silver somewhat calm, but still furious. He kicked yet another pan across the floor, still in a state of calmed anger. Libby snatched a skillet from the counter and used it to whack him in the head. "Quit ruinin' my kitchen!" Silver rubbed the back of his head with a burning glare at her, but he was back in a state of sense at least. Libby sighed as she dropped the skillet onto the floor with the rest of the pots and shattered dishes and examined the frightened faces of the crewmembers as she held on to Krista. Silver followed her gaze, seeming to notice the gaping crew for the first time. Instead of lashing out again, however, he just let out a quiet sigh and rubbed his fingers across his eyes in despair. When Krista let out a heart-wrenching sniff, he opened his eyes and took both of her small hands in his.

"Look at me, lass." After a moment, she raised her tear-filled dark blue eyes to meet his. When she did, it looked to Libby as if she thought she had lost hope. But Silver spoke in a soft, determined voice that could give anyone hope. He lifted her chin as he spoke. "We'll get her back." Krista covered her mouth with her hand to suppress a sob and looked up at Silver for further details; right now the only hope of getting their baby back was to send Jim. Silver put his hands behind his back. "And we'll make sure she never lays one of those bloomin' pinchers on our Jimbo. I'll make sure of that."

He looked surprised when Krista threw her arms around him and gave him a hug; after a moment, he softened and patted her back. "That's alright, Krista. It's alright…. We'll keep your family alive."

Captain Amelia chose this moment to step forward. "And how, may I ask, do you propose we do that?"

Silver's eyes drifted to the captain a moment before they met hers. Libby knew by the look in his eyes that he was thinking the same thing as she had. _Good question….._

And then something in the letter dawned on Libby; the dog-eared man called Dr. Doppler was examining the letter now. He seemed to be the brains of the outfit, turning the letter over and over….reading it over again and again. He and Libby spoke in unison unintentionally. "The outskirts of Callinar?"

_Jim Hawkins _

"Alright, guys! We should be getting close. Prepare to land when you see Callinar!"

All the crewmembers ran to the side of the ship to look for any sign of land. Jim held tight to the steering wheel as he kept his eyes fastened on the horizon. He should be jumping for joy right now, but all he could manage was a tight sigh through this nose. He knew Krista and Sara Beth was waiting for him on Callinar right now, safe and sound. But why was he still so afraid for them?

"I think you will feel better when you finally see them, sir." Flynn. Film's son. Jim's eyes widened at the sound of his soft, comforting voice from below; apparently his expression had given him away. In helping young Flynn to cope with the news of his father's death, the two had become close friends. Despite his situation, Flynn was spirited and determined. He had promised that he would finish the mission for his father, and that was what he was doing. Jim managed a small smile. "Yeah…. Thanks, Flynn. Hey, go get more blankets for the crew members, would you?"

"Aye, Captain." Jim smiled as he watched the young boy disappear below deck. He pulled his own blanket tighter around him as the wind blasted another freezing gush of torture at them. To his despair, full speed hadn't lasted long with the wind currents… but they were still pushing it. The wind was like ice and had already caused damage to some of the sails. He only hoped that they could land soon.

After several more hours of sailing, B.E.N. called over to him above the howling wind. "Jimmy! We are getting close to Callinar!"

At the same moment, one of the crewmembers cried out. "LAND HO!"

Jim was not above cheering with the crewmembers. "Woo hoo! Yeah!" He smiled down at them as they applauded their captain. He set his wide blue eyes on the horizon as he clutched Krista's locket in his hands. "Krista…Sara Beth…. I'm coming. I'm coming….."

_Miss Scroop _

It worked! Her plan had worked! And it had been so very easy! She shook the basket when the baby started to wail. "Quiet you!"

It hadn't taken long for her to think of something and take action. Breaking in was nothing….all she had to do was knockout that friend of Silver's….the innkeeper, she thought. The woman would have been stronger than she, so she had been sneaky….and acted before she could suspect a thing. Slipping away with the baby was no challenge, either….the most challenging thing was to decide whether or not to keep the mother alive. But she needed her around a while longer. The notes had been kept short and straight to the point. Now all she had to do was waiting.

She climbed atop the jagged cliffs on the outskirts of Callinar and looked around. _This is the perfect spot…._

She sat the basket on the ground and cooed at the infant as she resumed her crying. Her little eyes scrunched as she cried out. Miss Scroop chuckled and lifted her from the basket. "Oh….now don't be like that. You should be taking….a good look around….." She held her above the edge of the cliff. "After all, you and your family will be dead within the next few days, so it isn't all bad."

The baby stopped crying long enough to stare back at her with uncomprehending, innocent blue eyes. The little brown curls on her head blew in the cold wind as they stared at each other a moment. Miss Scroop dropped her back in her basket. "Now stay there while I repair my ship. I don't want to hear any noise!"

That may have lasted for about ten minutes. She shook her head in annoyance and kept working as the child cried on and on. She popped a bottle in the little one's mouth and kept working. Her only thought of comfort was what lay ahead. Soon Scroop's death would be avenged with the deaths of Jim and his family. And Silver? Well, he would just be a broken man.

…**..Hey, everybody! I'm sorry it had been so long. I haven't forgotten about the story. With this internship, my writing is few and far in between. But thanks for your patience and I hope you are enjoying it and will continue to read. I will post as soon as I can. Thanks and I hope you enjoy the chapter! Until next time!...**


	10. Chapter 10: Unraveled Plans

**Chapter 10 Unraveled Plans**

_Libby_

Dr. Doppler looked up from the old maps of Callinar that Libby kept under the counter to point travelers in the right direction. After an hour of huddling around the map and arguing until everyone was on the same page, they had finally come up with a plan. "Alright, everyone..." He adjusted his glasses so they would sit higher on his nose.

"Does everyone understand their post?" Captain Amelia stood up straight and tall as she touched base with all her crewmembers, who all made eye contact when they answered her. "Aye, Captain!"

Libby twisted the mug filled with the hot coffee Silver had brewed from a pot he had managed to find that was still in one piece. She examined the liquid in the mug thoughtfully until a red dot appeared on the side of the glass….the red dot Silver used to scan things with his cyborg eye….or to get the attention of someone. "What Silver?" Her voice came out as flat as she felt right now.

Silver caught on to her tone and chuckled. He walked over and tugged the blanket tighter over her shoulders. "Ya understand yours, woman?"

"Ya mean my 'post'?" She smoothed the blanket and yanked it even tighter to show her frustration. "I don't understand how it's supposed to work, if that's what you mean."

Silver's temper was going fast, which was her intention because he got to the point faster, but he surprisingly kept a humorous tone as he laid it out for her. "How could ya not understand? It's simple enough." He leaned forward and tapped his finger on the table as he spoke. "You keep Jimbo here even if it means tyin' him to this very table."

"And how'm I supposed to do that, Silver?" She pushed his hand from the table. "What right do I have to tell him he can't help rescue his daughter after all this time?"

"His feelings ain't exactly our first priority, now, is it?" Silver's eye was turning amber as he spoke in a rough, determined tone. "It's his life."

Libby felt exasperated. "I understand that, but I still don't think it's the best way….."

Krista, who had been standing a few feet back from everyone as she thought through the plan, stepped forward and grasped Libby's hand with a stronger grip than Libby could ever have expected. "Please, Libby…." Krista's midnight blue eyes were desperate and her voice determined. "You have to keep him here. If she so much as sees him, both he and Sara Beth are dead." Krista's eyes began to fill with tears at the very thought. "You have one of the most important tasks in the mission. If Jim shows himself, then….the mission will fail. Please don't let Jim leave until….someone comes back."

Libby hesitated a moment, then slowly met Krista's eyes and nodded her agreement. "Alright."

Dr. Doppler, who had ventured outside, now returned with an anxious look on his face. "We'd better be heading out soon. We may need the whole day, and….Jim's ship has been spotted on the horizon."

Krista's eyes met hers one more time before the young mother stood to her feet. Silver clapped his pirate hat on his head and smiled at her as he stood. "T'ink ya can get by without any rope?"

Libby pointed to the door. "Get out. Watch over that girl, and come back with that baby."

Silver just chuckled and gave her shoulder a squeeze before turning away and following Krista out the door. Libby knew he would never let her out of his sight as long as the mission would last. "Good luck," she whispered as the voices of the crew and heavy footsteps faded away until the only sound was that of the howling, chilly wind. And just like that, she was alone again.

Libby set to work straightening things Silver had turned over, placing whatever pots and pans were still useful back on the shelf and sweeping debris into a dust pan. Soon enough, the place was as good as new again. The last thing left was Sara Beth's little sac. Libby picked up the little white gown that Silver had chosen for the little lass to wear the first day and gently folded it before putting it back in the sac and pushing the wedding photo back in to keep it from falling to the floor. When all the contents were safely stored in the sac, she placed it behind the counter to keep it out of sight. She would give it to the boy when the time was right.

Just then, the door burst open to reveal a well-built human boy leaning against the door frame. His clothes looked old and baggy, his skin grey and whipped from the cold, his brown hair damp and tousled. He had only a light black jacket to protect him from the icy wind, which he pulled tighter around him before speaking in a ragged, but excited voice. The his light blue eyes held enough light to make up for his poor condition as he asked the question she knew was coming. "W-where's Krista and Sara Beth?"

Libby started to speak, but he interrupted as soon as he caught more breath, an excited grin spread across his face as he explained further. "I was told they were staying here, and I've come for them…my name is…."

"Jim." He stopped to give her a hopeful look when she finished for him. _Oh, my boy. I wish I had good news to give._ Something in her eyes must've given her away, because the light in his eyes and the hopeful smile vanished into something that looked like…..hurt.

Libby just barely managed to keep her voice calm as she pulled out a chair from the nearest table. "Jim…. Please, sit. I….have something to tell you."

As she talked, Libby was forced to watch each expression on Jim's face as she told him what had happened….from the time Silver brought Sara Beth in to a few hours ago when they had set up the rescue plan to retrieve Sara Beth. She soon learned that, much like his daughter's, everything could be read by the look in his eyes. Much to her surprise, Jim sat through the story with very little questions. _Well, he's a smart one, _Libby had thought as she watched him put the story together. Eventually, his little robot friend burst through the doors, briefly interrupting the story with loud, excited questions before Jim made him listen as well.

When she finally finished, they sat in silence for a while. B.E.N. seemed immobile, but Jim's ragged breathing was enough to break a heart as he winced against the pain of the story. Libby was normally a quiet one, but she couldn't stand it anymore. She reached out and placed her hand gently on one of his shoulders. "Jim?"

Jim held his head in one of his hands. "I came so far…."

Libby literally had no idea what to say. "I know, my boy, but…."

Jim looked up with newfound determination in his eyes. "I'm not stopping now. I'm going to get them."

Libby caught the back of his jacket as he darted from his chair and pulled him right back into it. "No, you're not. You are staying right here."

Jim was yelling now. "No, I'm not! I'm going to get my daughter! I have been kept away from the mission to rescue her long enough! What right do you have to tell me that I can't go get my family?"

_None. And I can't deny that, either. _Libby faltered before straightening and stepping forward. "I don't, but you're stayin' here regardless."

"Oh, well don't do me any favors." Jim's look turned dangerous before he darted past her. Libby moved just quick enough to catch him by the arm and fling him back into the table. He caught himself by slamming both hands on the table and just stood there. He panted with one hand still on the table and the other clenching his ribs. Libby had forgotten how much stronger her kind was than the others. "Oh, no!" She took a few quick steps toward him in a panic. "Oh, I didn't mean to hurt ya, Jim. But if you run out in the middle of their mission, Krista and Sara Beth will die."

Jim voice was shaky as he spoke. Until now, it had escaped her notice that his eyes had been studying the map of Callinar while he supported himself with the table. "Did….did you say they took the middle root with only a few officers walking the cliffs?"

Libby tiled her head in confusion, loosening at how out of place his question sounded given the current situation. "Yes…..why?"

Jim's only answer was the sudden look of realization that spread across his face. He snatched up the map and held it out to her with a desperate, panicked look in his eyes. "We all have to go!"

He began snatching useful items from the shelf and throwing them into the small sac that he had brought in with him as B.E.N. and Libby stared at the map in confusion. Eventually, B.E.N. spoke for the both of them. "Jimmy, I…..don't get it."

_Enough. _Libby handed the map back to Jim. "They'll be fine, Jim. They are sticking to the paths."

The look he gave her was so severe that he could have had anyone's attention. "That's just what she wants," Jim's voice was dangerously low as he pointed out several locations on the map.

Libby stared at the map in shock. Within five minutes, he had spotted what a whole crew had overlooked. He was a smart one…._and he was right. _Libby's hand went over her heart to keep it from beating out of her chest as she whispered the only thoughts she could conjure. "Oh, mercy me….. What've we done?"

_Krista_

For an hour now, they had trekked in silence through a cold, foggy path with crumbling, jagged cliffs on either side. It hadn't been long, but with all this nothingness around, tense silence, and the unknown ahead, Krista found her thoughts going to Jim and Sara Beth. Would Libby be able to keep Jim there? What was being done to Sara Beth? What if….what if they failed? And why. _Why? Why? Why?_

She glanced up at Silver, who had never strayed more than a foot from her since they had departed Libby's inn. He kept his eyes steadily fastened on the horizon as he used his built in sword to slash tree limbs and move overgrown brush out of the way.

Krista turned her head to speak to him in the lowest of voices, barely noticing how numb her wind whipped face felt. "How much further?"

Silver caught her when she tripped over some sort of root hidden by the fog that covered the ground. "Steady now." He pulled her to her feet and gently nudged her on. "It ain't far…."

The sound of disturbed earth from above stopped them in their tracks. Within seconds, one of the crew members who had been traveling along the cliffs fell from their heights and landed a few feet from them, instantly going still with the knife protruding from his back.

Before they could even make sense of the scene before them, another knife came sailing toward them. Silver pushed her to the side just in time for it to whiz past her head. In the stillness that followed, Krista turned her head to the side to see who it had hit. Silver stumbled back as he pulled the knife from the shoulder weighed down by machinery. Krista gasped as she watched the mechanical arm go limp as it shut down. Her eyes widened as Silver looked back at her with the same knowing look. Knowing that, just like that, the strongest member on their crew had been left with nothing but dead weight on his shoulder. Stripped of all weapons and down one arm.

…**.. I am so sorry I haven't written in a while. During the year, down time is hard to come by. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and am sorry for the cliffhanger. But I had to get things going. Thanks so much for the kind reviews and thoughts. I would love to hear more feedback on the story!**

**TheDevilMayCare, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I am glad you enjoy the story. And yes, the q's on the keyboard of my old computer were not working and I didn't notice. But I have a computer now with a working keyboard. I am sorry for the confusion, but thanks for pointing that out :D**

**I will try to update soon. Thanks for reading. And I can't wait to hear from you. Until next time!**

**Angelwriter84…..**


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